Willits Seniors Inc

PROVIDING MEALS FOR SENIORS, ON WHEELS, AND MEALS SERVED AT THE CENTER; AND TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR SENIORS IN THE COMMUNITY.

NUTRITION PROGRAM (MEALS ON WHEELS, DRIVE THROUGH PICK UP AND WALK UP LUNCHES) FROM JULY 1, 2020 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021 WE SERVED 12,338 MEALS ON WHEELS LUNCHES AND 12,585 WALK UP LUNCHES/DRIVE THRU PICK UP LUNCHES OUT THE FRONT DOORS OF THE SENIOR CENTER (TOTAL LUNCHES SERVED 24,923) COMPARED TO THE LAST FULL NON COVID YEAR WHICH WAS 2019 WHERE WE DISTRIBUTED 8,739 MEALS ON WHEELS LUNCHES AND 10,955 LUNCHES IN OUR DINING ROOM (TOTAL LUNCHES SERVED 19,694) AN INCREASE IN 2021 OF OVER 5,000 MEALS SERVED. BECAUSE WE RECEIVED FEDERAL GRANT MONIES FOR FOOD RELIEF DUE TO COVID-19 WE LOWERED THE COST PER MEAL TO $5.00 MAKING IT MORE AFFORDABLE TO THOSE WHO NEEDED MEALS THE MOST, SENIORS 65 AN OLDER AND THOSE WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS. THE RESPONSE WE RECEIVED FOR THOSE WHO BENEFITED FROM THE COVID-19 MEAL DISTRIBUTION WAS THAT OF HEARTFELT APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE. WE BEGAN TRACKING THE COSTS OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES NECESSARY TO PROVIDE COVID-19 MEALS. WE INFORMED OUR COMMUNITY OF OUR COVID-19 MEAL PROGRAM BY PLACING POSTERS AT LOCAL GROCERY STORES AND OTHER HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS AROUND TOWN, ADVERTISING IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER, ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND ON THE RADIO THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A SAFE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING LUNCHES AND OUR GOAL WAS TO PROVIDE FOOD DURING THE PANDEMIC AND TO HELP KEEP OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE VULNERABLE SAFE. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THE EARLY TRACKING OF THE COVID-19 MEALS RESULTED IN BOTH THE SAFEWAY FOUNDATION AND THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MENDOCINO COUNTY PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH FOOD COST FROM JUNE THRU AUGUST OF 2020. WE ALSO DID A FREE DRIVE THROUGH THANKSGIVING DINNER. OVER 479 MEALS WE SERVED VIA DRIVE THROUGH AND 126 MEALS WERE DELIVERED VIA MEALS ON WHEELS. COVID-19 DID NOT STOP US FROM DELIVERING TO MANY WHO WERE ISOLATING AT HOME BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS. OUR DRIVER WOULD DROP OFF THEIR MEAL ON THEIR PORCH THEN CALL THEM BY TELEPHONE AFTER THEY LEFT. 1 DELIVER MEALS ON WHEELS WHENEVER NEEDED AND EVERY YEAR ON THANKSGIVING DAY. THIS YEAR A LADY BROKE DOWN AND CRIED WHEN I HANDED HER A THANKSGIVING DINNER. SHE SAID, "THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO BRING ME A DINNER, I LIVE ALONE HAVE AND NO FAMILY TO BE WITH AND WOULD HAVE GONE WITHOUT, GOD BLESS YOU." PERSONAL EXPERIENCES LIKE THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. I TELL EVERYONE THIS SERVICE IS THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF OUR DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, STAFF AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THIS IS PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WHEN PEOPLE SHARE IN A COMMON GOAL AND HAVE ESTABLISHED A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP OVER TIME. WORDS CANNOT ACCURATELY EXPRESS HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE ALL THE T. R ERIKSEN FOUNDATION HAS DONE FOR THE SENIOR CENTER OVER THE YEARS. WE CAN ONLY BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MONEY YOU ENTRUST IN US AND SPEND IT AT PRUDENTLY AS POSSIBLE.TRANSPORATION FROM JULY 1, 2020 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021 WE HAVE PROVIDED 4,349 RIDES. OUR SENIORS DEPEND ON OUR DOOR THROUGH DOOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE. OUR DRIVERS CARRY OUR SENIORS' GROCERIES FROM THEIR SHOPPING CARTS INTO THEIR HOMES. THEY HAVE COME TO RELY AND TRUST ON US TO GET THEM TO SAFELY TO AND FROM THEIR MEDICAL AND DENTAL APPOINTMENTS, BANKING ERRANDS, SURGERIES, PHYSICAL THERAPY APPOINTMENTS AND THE MOST APPOINTMENTS OF ALL, GETTING THE LADIES TO THE SALON. WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN HOW IMPORTANT OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS TO OUR SENIORS . WE ADHERED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS GUIDELINES BY LIMITING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS IN OUR VEHICLES TO 2, SANITIZED OUR VEHICLES AFTER EVERY USE AND REQUIRED EVERYONE TO WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES. AT ONE POINT EARLY IN THE PANDEMIC WE DID RESTRICT RIDES TO ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS SUCH AS MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, BANKING AND GROCERY SHOPPING. OUR SENIORS WERE SO APPRECIATIVE NOT ONLY OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE BUT ALSO THE MANNER IN WHICH OUR DRIVERS SHOWED UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO KEEP THEM SAFE. ISOLATION IS MORE COMMON IN SENIORS THAN IN OTHER AGE GROUPS, THE SOCIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN OUR DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS ARE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL. I WAS A DRIVER FOR 7 YEARS BEFORE I BECAME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND UNDERSTAND HOW LONELY SOME OF OUR SENIORS ARE AND HOW IMPORTANT THE SOCIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN OUR DRIVERS AND PASSENGER ARE. MARSHA A LONG-TIME RECIPIENT OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE WAS AT HOME ON HOSPICE CARE CALLED AND ASKED IF COULD DROP BY AND SPEND TIME WITH HER DURING HER LAST MOMENTS. THIS TESTIMONIAL ILLUSTRATES HOW ESSENTIAL OUR TRANSPORTATION THIS SERVICE IS. OUTREACH DEPARMENT I AM HAPPY AND RELIEVED TO FINALLY HAVE HIRED SERENA ALEXI AS OUR NEW OUTREACH WORKER. OUR GOAL OF OUR OUTREACH DEPARTMENT IS TO EMPOWER SENIORS IN LIVING INDEPENDENT LIVES AND SUPPORT THEM SO THEY CAN REMAIN LIVING IN THEIR OWN HOMES FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONNECTING SENIORS VIA TABLETS TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND OTHER SENIORS AS A MEANS TO ADDRESS SENIOR ISOLATION. A LOT OF SENIORS ARE WORRIED ABOUT CONTRACTING COVID-19 AND ARE NOT SOCIALIZING AS MUCH AND IN SOME CASES NOT AT ALL. I ATTACHED SOME OF THE SERVICES WE ARE PROVIDING. SERENA STARTED AN ADULT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF WILLITS SENIORS FACE BOOK PAGE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES BUT ALSO TO EDUCATE THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF OUR SENIORS WHAT AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE THE SENIOR CENTER IS TO OR COMMUNITY. OUR OUTREACH DEPARTMENT IS OPERATING UNDER OUR ORGANIZATIONAL PHILOSOPHY, IF WE CAN HELP WE WILL, IF WE CAN'T, WE WILL TRY AND DIRECT YOU TO A RESOURCE THAT MAY ASSIST YOU. WE ARE NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO HELP EVERY PERSON WITH EVERY REQUEST, BUT WE TAKE PRIDE IN THE MANNER WE ADMINISTER SERVICES, ALWAYS WITH COMPASSION, EMPATHY AND CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OUR SENIORS FACE. PARKINSON'S & LIFE CHANGES SUPPORT GROUPS LINDA POSNER FACILITATED THESE MUCH-NEEDED SUPPORT GROUPS FROM JULY 1, 2020 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021 LINDA AGREED TO LOWER HER PRICE TO FACILITATE THE GROUPS SO WE COULD ALLOCATE THE REMAINING PART OF HER WAGES ($865) TOWARDS OUR DRIVE THRU PICK LUNCHES AND MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM. LINDA HAS A HUGE HEART AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE THE SENIOR CENTER IS TO SENIORS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER WILLITS AREA. THE PARKINSON'S GROUP WAS MEETING REGULARLY UNTIL MID-MARCH WHEN GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSON REQUIRED SENIORS 65 OR OLDER TO SHELTER IN PLACE. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH LINDA AND TOLD HER WE WOULD CONTINUE PAYING HER DESPITE THE SUPPORT GROUPS BEING CANCELLED. IT WAS THERE A CONVERSATION BEGAN AT LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THIS MUCH NEEDED SERVICE. THE SAYING IF THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY, WELL THE OUTCOME WAS TO ZOOM THE MEETINGS. ITS WASN'T AS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AS MEETING AT THESENIOR CENTER BUT IT STILL PROVIDED THE GROUP MEMBERS THE CHANCE TO OPENLY EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND TO CONNECT TO OTHERS WHILE SAFELY SHELTERING IN THEIR HOMES. ON JUNE 22, OUR BOARD VOTED TO ALLOW THE SUPPORT GROUPS TO MEET OUTDOORS ON OUR PATIO AS LONG AS EVERYONE WORE A MASK AND PRACTICED SOCIAL DISTANCING. MEETING OUTDOORS ON THE PATIO WAS SHORT-LIVED THE GROUP FELT IT WAS SAFER TO GO BACK TO THE ZOOM MEETINGS WITH AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES. WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF COVI D-19 LOOMING OVER US AND NO CLEAR END IN SIGHT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE WILLITS SENIOR CENTER. THE ARPA COVID-19 FOOD RELIEF GRANT WILL BE ENDING MARCH 31, 2022, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN COVERING ALL OF OUR FOOD COSTS, WHICH IN TURN ALLOWED US TO SERVE THE ADDITIONAL 5,000 PLUS MEALS THIS LAST YEAR. WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS AND 2 OF OUR STEADFAST THRIFT STORE VOLUNTEERS, DORCAS AGE 90 & CAROL AGE 85 ARE RETIRING. THEY ACCOUNT FOR 64 HOURS OF LABOR, EXPERIENCE AND HAVE SUCH POSITIVE ATTITUDES AND HUGE HEARTS. THEY EPITOMIZE THE MEANING OF WHAT A VOLUNTEER ENCAPSULATES, SELFLESS SERVICE IN THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS, THEY WILL BE SORELY MISSED. OUR RECENT POLENTA DRIVE THROUGH DINNER HAD A LOW TURNOUT WITH ONLY 60 TICKETS SOLD, WE USUALLY SELL 120 TICKETS TO OUR DRIVE THROUGH DINNERS. DUE TO THE MENDOCINO COUNTY HEALTH ORDER WE ARE UNABLE TO HOST ANY INDOOR FUND RAISING EVENTS. WE WILL BE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF FUNDRAISING.