The Willits Senior Center, located on on Baechtel Road, in Willits, Calif., on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The center has been a supportive network for seniors since it was founded in 1974 but will be losing a portion of its funding from the County of Mendocino in July of 2026 due to financial struggles. (Sydney Fishman/Bay City News)

WILLITS, CA., 5/1/25 — Every weekday around 11:45 a.m., a large group of older adults gather at the Willits Senior Center on Baechtel Road for a hot meal prepared by the center’s trained kitchen staff. 

The scent of lasagna, fresh salad and chocolate chip cookies fills the dining room as guests enjoy their lunch, leaving satisfied and happy. On some days, seniors enjoy recipes like chicken teriyaki stir-fry, while on others they have a celebratory meal like turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce.  

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Sydney Fishman is a UC Berkeley California Local News Fellow and lives full time in Ukiah. Reach her at sydney@mendovoice.com or through her Signal username @sydannfish.67.