The largest senior center in the state is facing a $150,000 deficit, and is counting on the generosity of the community to help keep it open through June.

The Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center has had mounting financial challenges since last year, when it didn't get a grant-in-aid from the state Legislature as in years past and had to reach out for community support.

The center also got no legislative funding in 2009.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the center now finds itself with another massive shortfall, and is asking for donations so services to more than 2,000 participants age 60 and older aren't interrupted.

"We're really looking to the generosity of the community," said Jerry Rauckhorst, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Hawai'i, which has a $123,000 annual contract with the state to manage the senior center.

The state contract only covers a portion of the $400,000 a year needed to run the center. Rauckhorst said Catholic Charities has been able to raise about $120,000 for the center, but $150,000 is still needed by June 30.

"We're still optimistic," he said.

He added that the center's operations and staffing have already been pared down to save money. The center has just three full-time and two part-time employees, who do everything from manage programs to maintenance.

Several seniors who go to Lanakila say they wouldn't know what to do if the center weren't around.

Pauline Mationg, 83, lives alone and said coming to Lanakila gives her an excuse to "get pretty" and dressed up. Otherwise, she said, she'd stay home in a housecoat.

"If I stayed home, it would be very, very lonesome," said Mationg, who has been coming to Lanakila for about 10 years, since her late husband got involved at the center.

The financial woes at the center aren't unique to Lanakila, though the Kalihi program has by far the largest deficit. There are three other senior centers on O'ahu, and all of them are scrambling to raise money to stay open.

The centers cater mostly to seniors on small fixed incomes, offering activities at low or no cost.

The Mo'ili'ili Community Center needs to raise about $50,000 through July for its senior programs. The center was able to raise $100,000 this year with fundraisers.

Jill Kitamura, director of the Mo'ili'ili senior center's programs, added that the future is "very iffy." Not only does the center have to get enough in donations to get through the summer, it is also worried that the state Health Department funds for next fiscal year will be cut.

The Mo'ili'ili and Lanakila centers both get DOH funds, but O'ahu's two other senior centers — in Waikíkí and Kapahulu — do not.

In the past legislative session, senior centers asked lawmakers for rainy-day funds to help them remain afloat.

The funds were zeroed out in the final days of the session because of other fiscal priorities, legislators said.

Altogether, the centers were asking for $682,000.

Senior centers, advocates say, are vital resources, providing classes and activities so the elderly remain busy, involved in the community and active.

Rauckhorst, of Catholic Charities, also pointed out that Lanakila and other senior centers have social workers and other employees who link seniors up with services.

Bill Madigan, 67, got help at the center to find a low-rent apartment in town. He was living on the Leeward side, and was having difficulty commuting.

Madigan got involved at the center after his doctor warned him that he had to stay mentally and physically active because of a family history of Parkinson's disease.

His doctor stressed "diet, which you get here, socialization, which you get here, mentally challenging activity, which I get here, and physical exercise, which I get here," Madigan said recently. "It offers so much."