The Alberton Senior Citizens Center, located at 607 Railroad Ave., shares its building with the Alberton Branch Library of the Mineral County Public Library System.

The building also serves as the town’s community center and is the epicenter for most local events. While the library maintains its own hours, the property is also well known for the senior lunches, which are open to the public twice weekly. The suggested donation for the noon meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays is $7 for those 60 years old and younger and $6 for those over 60.

Sandy Bird has lived in the Alberton area for 25 years, with Tuesday and Thursday lunches being a regular part of her routine. 

“I help with fundraisers,” she said last Thursday while standing in line for lunch. “We do the Farmers Market to keep us going. Sydney makes pickled green beans and another lady does jams and jellies. And one of the cooks here makes a real good salad dressing that everybody likes. So, we sell things like that and then we have some used items, like jewelry that is donated.” 

Bird was referring to the Thursday evening market held in the Senior Center parking lot during the spring, summer, and early fall. She noted that the Winter Market is set to begin Feb. 5 inside the center, where everyone was having lunch that day. 

“There’s a lady that has all kinds of baked goods and people with homemade items. We just sell what we can to try and raise money for the seniors.” 

To keep the schedule consistent, the Winter Market will also be held on Thursdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. She added that during Railroad Day, held the third Saturday of July, a member of the center sold pottery made by her sister, with proceeds benefiting the ASCC. Volunteers also set up a booth at the annual Christmas Bazaar at the school. 

“This is where we have many knitted items for gifts and other things seniors make to keep raising money.”

One noticeable change since COVID is that Tuesday lunches now draw crowds comparable to Thursdays, which had not been the case previously. 

“A lot of it depends on the weather as people want to get out and about,” Bird said. “And then we’ve had many new people move in.” 

She mentioned one couple who relocated from the Seattle area after selling their restaurant and moving to Montana. The husband has been a big help in the kitchen with menus and meal preparation, while his wife has taken over the bookkeeping — roles they handled in their own business.

After lunch, many patrons stay to play cribbage, work on jigsaw puzzles, or enjoy other card games, extending the social fellowship beyond the meal.

Membership in the senior center continues to grow. Total dues-paying members numbered 30 last year and have increased to 45 this year. While membership is not required to dine, annual dues are just $10. 

Denley Loge was circulating through the room, encouraging renewals and new memberships for 2026. Marvin Garding, who has served as ASCC president for about two years, emphasized the importance of volunteers. 

“We do get money from the state and Feds, but those in this room, and others, are the backbone with what they do to bring money in.” 

He also praised the meal he was enjoying, commenting that the eggroll was excellent. 

“They try and do as much homemade food for the meals as they can.”

A patron seated across from him echoed that sentiment. 

“It’s not just a meal, it’s a smorgasbord! Look at all of the food to choose from,” she exclaimed. 

The day’s menu featured an Asian-inspired lunch with pork, rice, noodles, hard-boiled eggs, and a variety of sauces.

Alberton School Principal/Superintendent Cyr stopped by during lunch to invite patrons to an upcoming basketball game, noting that both the boys’ and girls’ teams are “killin’ it this year.” She also thanked the Senior Center for providing a letter of support for a grant application. 

“We are working on a grant through the Montana Historic Preservation Center to help with some of the upgrades we need to do with the grade school. So, we’re asking for letters, like yours, on how the school is important to the community and the money we need to offset the costs to make that building safer for our kids, ADA accessible and a few repairs that we need to do.”

Cyr also shared that the school is seeking volunteer readers. 

“In February, we are doing I Love to Read Month. We need guest readers to come and read to the kids. If anybody is interested, we would love to have you over there reading to small groups and different ages. Thank you all very much for what you do for Alberton school and let me know what if I can do anything for you guys as well.” 

She encouraged anyone interested to call the school at (406) 722-3381, noting that while February is a focus month, reading to students is welcomed year-round.

    People gather for lunch at the Alberton Senior Center. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)