The hard part may be done, but the Iola Senior Citizens Inc. still has work to do to finish a new addition.
Crews completed construction of the 30-foot by 40-foot metal structure for the addition at 223 N. State St. and the senior center staff are using it.
But more work remains: The building needs electricity and lighting, Sheetrock and insulation, heating and cooling units, and concrete for a walk-through section between the addition and the main building.
Senior Citizens volunteers are organizing a Fun Fashion Fundraiser from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 30, at the North Community Building, 505 N. Buckeye St., to raise money for the remaining work.
The fashion show will feature clothing from the center, and outfits will be available to purchase at an auction. Other items are offered in a silent auction. Entertainment will be provided by Miss Chelsea’s Dance Academy. Refreshments will be offered for a free will donation. A suggested entrance fee is $7.
Dimity Lowell, who handles public relations for the board, said the thrift store received $6,000 in donations from area businesses to pay the remaining cost of the building’s shell. The senior center used proceeds from sales to pay most of the cost.
“The building is paid. Now we need to finish it,” Lowell said.
She previously estimated it could take as much as $30,000 to finish the interior. 
After the exterior construction wrapped up, thrift store volunteers moved items from the children’s section into the addition, along with other items.
The former children’s section will become a staging and donation drop-off area, with a cashier’s desk stationed nearby so volunteers can monitor all entrances.
A door leads directly from that area into the addition, though the two buildings are separated by a few feet. That’s because of building codes that didn’t allow the structures to be connected. The two sets of doors, when opened, meet so it will appear to be a short hallway. A removable awning will provide protection from bad weather.
“I’m very excited,” Lowell said about the work that’s been done. “I get a little overwhelmed when I come in and see how much stuff we’ve already got here. We’ve just got to get it finished.”
Lowell hopes to have the building ready for an open house by June 1.
