Featuring: SERVICE GROUP, SENIOR CENTER

The Portland Area Service Group, known affectionately in the community as “The Senior Center,” is a community venue open to people of all ages.

For director Jan Ridenour, the center is a labor of love. “I am doing my best to carry on the work of my late friend, Julie Ridenour,” said Jan. “Julie did great things for the center and she taught me so much.”

The center is recently remodeled with an attractive new paint job. It also features new carpeting, new tables, and three new large screen TVs that work well with the new Bingo machine. It all works together to give the center an inviting vibe. “We’ve spruced up the place quite a bit,” said Jan.

The center’s reason for being is to provide a warm and welcoming place for seniors and other community members to meet and to relax with friends. Coffee, pop, and snacks are available on the premises. Lunch is served on Tuesdays and on Thursdays for Euchre players and a potluck dinner is available for Bingo players on Monday nights. The lunches are cooked up by co director Brenda Burleson.

“Brenda does an amazing job with the food,” said Jan. “We love her cooking and she does a great job as codirector.”

Jan herself is also a volunteer. The greatest reward for Jan in doing what she does for the center is the friendships that she makes with the regulars who frequent the location. “I feel that this work grants me a great opportunity to give back to the Portland community for all of the love that it has shown me,” she said.

Jan invites everyone in the community to visit the center and to see all of the great things that it has to offer to them. “We want to reach out to everyone,” she said. “The center is not simply for seniors. We like to have fun here and we are open to new faces and to new ideas.”

Jan also wants people to know that the center has a loan closet filled with medical equipment which is available to community members in need. The equipment includes wheelchairs, walkers, shower seats, and hospital beds among other items. The loans of this equipment are free of charge. Jan only asks that people return the equipment when they are finished using it. “We invite everyone to make good use of the center,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place.”

Bingo on Monday evenings from 6 pm to 9:30 pm. Doors open at 4:30. Bring a dish to pass. Friday morning Bingo at 10:30 pm; doors open at 9:3pm. Every other Friday evening features walk-in Bingo from 5 pm to 9:00 pm.

The venue is available for rent for all occasions. It is handicap accessible, has a full kitchen and holds up to sixty to seventy people.

This piece was originally published in the Downtown Portland Newsletter for March 2026.  You can find the full newsletter HERE.