U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez pens letter opposing Lewis County Senior Center prayer policy

Sep. 27—U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washougal, has spoken in opposition to the nonprofit Lewis County Seniors silent time prayer policy at the county's senior centers.

The congresswoman made her stance known in a letter sent Sept. 14 to the Lewis-Thurston-Mason Area Agency on Aging's executive director, Nicole Kiddoo.

The Lewis County Seniors policy — which allows seniors a moment of silence before meals to pray if they so desire at the county's senior centers — came into question following its abrupt implementation at Lewis County senior centers over the summer.

Opposition to the policy was expressed at senior centers in the county, at Lewis County commissioners meetings and on social media. A protest involving about 40 people was also organized outside the Twin City Senior Center in Chehalis

According to Lewis County Seniors nonprofit staff, the policy falls in line with the Older Americans Act.

Gluesenkamp Perez disagreed.

"Under the provisions of the Older Americans Act, seniors who choose to pray before meals are allowed to do so either silently, or audibly," Gluesenkamp Perez said in the letter.

She went on to say the U.S. Administration on Aging suggests facilities receiving federal funding develop a policy allowing seniors to pray either silently or out loud, "in accordance with the Older Americans Act."

"I want to express my unwavering support for the senior citizens of Lewis County who exercise that important right by praying at mealtime," wrote Gluesenkamp Perez. "It is important that those who choose to do so are not restricted in their ability to pray before meals, so long as their prayer does not interfere with the rights of others."

The Chronicle reached out to Kiddoo for comments on Gluesenkamp Perez's letter but did not receive a response.

The agency itself penned a letter to the Lewis County Seniors board in August initially calling the policy unconstitutional.

In a statement to The Chronicle at the time, the agency wrote, "the Older Americans Act (OAA) does not forbid older adults from praying before a meal at a senior center or some other location that provides a meal with funding from the OAA. The Administration on Aging recommends that each nutrition program adopt a policy that ensures that each individual participant has a free choice whether to pray either silently or audibly, and that the prayer is not officially sponsored, led or organized by persons administering the Nutrition Program or the meal site."

The Lewis County commissioners unanimously voted in late August to remove Carol Brock from the advisory board of the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging.

Brock wrote an article in Senior Dynamics announcing the new policy, which was also aimed at limiting comments relating to politics.

During the meeting, Commissioner Scott Brummer said Brock should resign as president of the Lewis County Seniors board.

"We don't have the control of that, it's up to the senior board, but I think due to this situation, Mrs. Brock should resign from the Lewis County Seniors Board," Brummer said.

"I don't see any other way forward for them to effectively raise funds and continue on with their program."

This policy was in response to seniors approaching the board over the summer complaining about being bullied by other seniors over political beliefs and feeling like they were being forced to attend a church service when just trying to get their meal, Brock and other Lewis County Seniors officials have said.