Meet Agency Director Chris Parker
Chris Parker started volunteering at the Marshfield Senior Center 30 years ago. When she heard about the opening for a full-time position, she quickly applied. Parker has been the director of the Marshfield Senior Center, partially funded by the Southwest Missouri Office on Aging, for five years.
Q: What sparked your interest to work at SWMOA?
A: I like working with the seniors. They have such great stories because they have seen and done so much. It is a pleasure to be a part of their lives.
Q: What is your biggest achievement?
A: Building up the number of people we serve. When I started we ran one hot meal route a day. We now have three and serve about 60 homebound seniors in addition to the number of congregate meals we serve.
Q: Have you faced any challenges during your time at SWMOA?
A: Getting a new building for our senior center. I was on the job one month when I discovered we would have to move so a new jail could be built at our current location. The best part of the last five years has been spent working toward a new building. We have about $850,000 now and should start building soon.
Q: What is the best part about your job?
A: Putting smiles on the faces of my seniors! I love finding ways to help them.
Q: What is your most memorable moment at the center?
A: One day our cook was on her own in the kitchen — no volunteers. So I put on my hair net and got to work making cornbread. When I turned on our big commercial mixer, I accidentally hit a measuring cup and it fell into the mix. The blades sent it spinning into the air — cornbread mix with it. I was dripping cornbread mix and it was splattered all over the walls and floor. As I wiped it off my shirt, I said, “What else can go wrong today?” My cook nodded her head behind me — there stood our health inspector who had come for our health inspection!