From Barbara Truitt:

Dear Friends,

Executive Director De-Anne Hooper had this to say in the Healy Senior Center’s latest newsletter:

“Today, more than ever, we need your support We are experiencing tough times. Our three day per week hot meal program has very low participation numbers, we are not meeting our A1AA required meals served, down by 27%, and are in jeopardy of losing our contract. The Meals on Wheels program is serving the contracted amount but we have had trouble raising the money to sustain the program. High travel costs related to the delivery of meals keeps many willing volunteers from participating, leading to staff time to deliver meals. The demand for resources like firewood, energy assistance, legal services, free or reduced-fee medical screenings and medical advocacy is ever increasing, stretching the capacity of the center to address community needs. Lastly, funds are urgently needed to arrest the erosion of our reserves.”

With so many organizations struggling to cope with today’s tough economy, it is difficult to allocate our donation dollars. But we all know that it is much easier and less expensive to maintain a program than to create it anew if its operations are interrupted.

The good news is that this is a temporary crisis is due in large part to a demographic dip, but the number of young seniors and soon-to-be-seniors in our community is very large. Many of us baby boomers are already eligible for services, and the rest are not far behind. While we all hope we will not need many support services, we know it is very important that they be there! And as we lose more and more of our partners, friends and other contemporaries, we will undoubtedly benefit from new avenues for camaraderie and social networking.

Here are four ways you can support the center now:

1.   Come to the Pancake Breakfast tomorrow from 9:00 to 1:00 — and monthly, every second Saturday morning. Pancakes, eggs, meat, fruit & beverages, $6.00.

2.    Attend the congregate meal program on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. Get a good, nutritious hot meal, and enjoy the company of active elders. Call the Center at 923-2399  the day before or by 10:00 am on lunch day to reserve your slot. Suggested donation for those 60 and over is $4 to $6; meal cost for those under 60 is $6.

3.   Rent the center for your next meeting or gathering. It is available, inexpensive, and a very nice venue with a good kitchen, piano and other amenities.

4.   Drop your donation by the Healy Senior Center, or send it to PO Box 1849, Redway, CA  95560.

Thanks everyone,
Barb