Pancakes and sausage are among what's served up fresh to senior citizens and the community in the Grove City area by the Grove City Senior Community Center, housed in College View Towers on Broad Street.

Friday morning, the center is sponsoring its monthly breakfast fund-raiser, which is open to the community.

"We try to do it once a month, to bring the community in," said senior center director Amy Perrine, referring to the year-old event. "At the center, the only meal we serve is lunch. It was a volunteer's idea to start this. So many seniors who normally don't come down at lunchtime enjoy going out to breakfast in the morning."

Mrs. Perrine said while the breakfast is open to the public, the idea of the early-morning event caters to busy senior citizens.

"It's a way to show that the community is welcome to participate in the senior center activities and that the service is available," she said. "Hopefully it will bring more people into the senior center so we can educate people about what we do offer. Also, a pancake breakfast helps more active seniors fit this into their day. It gives people more opportunity to participate at the senior center."

The center has anywhere from 20 to 60 people on any given day, depending on the weather and other community events. But Mrs. Perrine said she would like to see that number grow.

"I think there's a misconception that the senior center only belongs to the residents of College View Towers. All residents here are welcome, including those who live outside the walls of the building," she said, noting the Grove City senior center is there to service the needs of those in Pine, Springfield, Liberty, Wolf Creek, Findley, Coolspring, Jefferson and East Lackawannock townships, as well as Mercer and Grove City.

"It's open to the community and serves the whole community and everyone is welcome," Mrs. Perrine said. "I've heard it called the best-kept secret because some people have no clue the center is open to the public."

The monthly breakfast raises money for different programs the center offers. "We also provide scholarships for people who can't afford their meals or for various supplies the center uses, but basically it's for the programs. That's the largest expense," Mrs. Perrine said.

Some upcoming programs include a representative from Keystone Blind Association providing minor eyeglass repairs and cleaning at 10 a.m. Wednesday; Mickey Patrick, a one-man band from Butler, at 10:30 a.m. Thursday; and a senior center volunteer who will do a presentation on living with blindness on April 30.

As for the pancake breakfast, for $2 visitors can get buckwheat or regular pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee and help their local senior center.

"And it's all-you-can-eat until we run out," said Mrs. Perrine.

The breakfast will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (724) 458-6844.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharonherald.com