Veteran KING 5 meteorologist Jeff Renner is scheduled to serve has master of ceremonies at the Gathering for Seniors luncheon next month to help fund the variety of free services provided by volunteers from Eastside Friends of Seniors.

A limited number of seats are still available for the luncheon at noon on Friday, Nov. 9 at the Bellevue Hilton, 112th Ave. SE.

Donations to Eastside Friends of Seniors will be accepted, but corporate sponsors and individual donors have contributed to cover the cost for the luncheon.

Eastside Friends of Seniors provides free services to seniors in communities from Bellevue to the Snoqualmie Valley. Volunteers provide minor household repairs, occasional rides to medical appointments, help with shopping and other services designed to allow seniors to retain the dignity of living independently.

The organization was founded in 1997 as Faith in Action to enhance the lives of seniors in Issaquah and the Sammamish Plateau. The program expanded in 2008 as an independent non-profit agency to serve residents of the rural communities in East King County and officially changed its name to Eastside Friends of Seniors to more closely match the mission of the organization.

The agency expanded into Bellevue earlier this year to meet the requests from an increasing population of seniors.

More than 75 percent of the clients served by Eastside Friends in 2010 identified themselves as low income. Almost half have mobility issues, while one-third of the clients have challenges with sight and/or hearing.

The luncheon is a new effort to support the free services of Eastside Friends of Seniors. The organization had supplemented grants from corporations and congregations over the past several years with an annual auction.

For more information on the luncheon, go to www.gatheringforseniors.org or call 425-369-9120.

Call or or email info@eastsidefriendsofseniors.org to request services or become a volunteer.