For decades, El Cerrito was home to a vibrant senior center located behind the library on Stockton Avenue. The Open House Senior Center was a community hub where seniors could gather, take classes, enjoy meals, and access critical resources. However, in 2018, the West Contra Costa County School District reclaimed the building, forcing the city to move the senior center to two portable buildings next to the police department on San Pablo Avenue. Renamed the “El Cerrito Midtown Activity Center,” the center continued offering essential services—until 2020.
Never Reopened
In March 2020, the senior center was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While many of us hoped the closure would be temporary, the city quietly decided not to reopen the center or restore the full range of services once provided to our seniors. The city eliminated one of the portable buildings, leased the other to the Kensington Police Department, and significantly scaled back senior programming. What little remains is now hosted at the Community Center on Moeser Lane, but it pales in comparison to the offerings of a dedicated senior center.
If you’ve seen the “Senior Center” sign at Hana Gardens next to City Hall, you might be surprised to learn that it’s just an empty conference room rented out for private events—nothing more. This is not the senior center our community needs.
El Cerrito’s seniors deserve better. The pandemic is no longer an excuse, and the city must prioritize reopening a permanent, fully funded senior center. It’s time for city leadership to act.
We urge you to contact the City Manager and City Council members to demand action:
- City Manager Karen Pinkos
Email: citymanager@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Phone: (510) 215-4300 - Mayor Tessa Rudnick
Email: trudnick@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - Councilmember Lisa Motoyama
Email: lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - Councilmember Gabriel Quinto
Email: gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - Councilmember Carolyn Wysinger
Email: cwysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Let them know that El Cerrito’s seniors deserve the return of a full-time, dedicated senior center.
#SupportOurSeniors #ElCerrito #SeniorCenter #ECSeniorServices #ElCerritoCouncil #CommunityCare #SeniorHealth #ElCerritoAction #AdvocateForSeniors #ReopenECSeniorCenter
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
But El Cerrito has activities for seniors at St John’s Center and Lutheran church.
On Wed, Oct 9, 2024 at 1:48 PM El Cerrito Committee for Responsib
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Contra Costa County provides activities for seniors at those locations. The issue is that candidate and current councilmembers Lisa Motoyama and Gabe Quinto took credit for El Cerrito having provided those services.
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