Caroline Hankins is already seeing positive results as the new Haines Senior Center Site Manager after her first week on the job. Hankins replaces Cindy Jackson, who relocated to Wasilla with her family.
Originally from Stanwood, Wash., Hankins spent her formative years exploring the outdoors. “We didn’t have cable TV,” she said. “That fed the outdoor love.”
Hankins supervises eight part-time staff members including cooks and drivers. She has previous experience in administration and was an EMT.
Her work with senior tourists at Alaska Mountain Guides is what motivated her to seek the position at the center. “I was the manager on the bus tour program. And when we would do the bus tours, there would be 40 over-60 (years old) on the bus and me entertaining them and taking them around town. They were the most excited people to go on the tours. It was the first time ever in Alaska for a lot of them. I really connected with a lot of the seniors on the bus tours,” she said.
Hankins is trying to infuse her passion for nature into the center’s scheduled offerings. Recently she organized a trip to the Bald Eagle Preserve in conjunction with the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival. Additionally, she’d like to add art, music, and more exercise classes to complement the center’s current offerings of Tai Chi and a regular women’s coffee klatch. Bolstering community involvement with the center is also a high priority for Hankins.
As site manager, Hankins will also be responsible for community outreach and fundraising. She said she’s prepared to do a lot of grant writing and fundraisers. The center is currently raising funds to add a third bus to their current fleet of two vehicles, which would increase their capacity for wheelchair bound passengers. Hankins would also like to raise funds to open the community center five days a week, adding Friday to the current schedule of Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.