Willits Senior

2022 NUTRITION PROGRAM Our Nutritional Program is classified as either C-1 or C-2.C-1 All onsite meals served which includes indoor dining, drive through pick up and those who walk to the senior center from the Redwood Meadows Seniors Apartments, right next door.C-2 (Meals on Wheel Program) These meals are delivered to homebound seniors with very limited mobility and for those who are recovering from recent surgery until their physical therapy is concluded.From January I, 2022 through December 31, 2022 we served 11,094 C-1 meals and 9,976 C-2 meals. Out total 2023 meal count was 21,070.T. R. Eriksen's Grant allowed us to offer our lunches to senor center members for$8.00 making it affordable to seniors on fixed incomes. Some of our seniors make two meals out of our lunches eating the soup and salad for lunch and the entree for dinner. We also delivered 157 Thanksgiving dinners (an increase from last year of 50 meals) via our Meals on wheels truck to homebound seniors. Senior isolation is very common, the social interaction between our meals on wheels drivers and our meal on wheels clients addresses this issue. The meals on wheels clients look forward to talking with our driver and always have a warm and welcoming smile when their lunches are delivered. I have delivered meals and have received countless heartfelt thank yous for our meals on wheels service. So many of our seniors depend on this essential service. Testimonials include, "I don't know what I would do without this service", "god bless you", "I can't cook anymore and even if I could your food tastes better, thanks for keeping me alive". In 2022, we began a 3-year fundraising strategy to raise funds to purchase a new meals on wheel truck, cost estimated at $60,000. The goal was to have funds in place so when the old truck has been laid to rest we can transition to a new truck without interruption of our meals on wheels service. To date we have raised $19,621.52 from an all you can eat brick oven Pizza Fundraiser, unfortunately the person who held the fundraiser at their house was unable to hold the fundraiser this year due to health concerns but we anticipate holding the event this spring.2022 PHYSICAL CHALLENGES (formerly Parkinson's) & LIFE CHANGES SUPPORT GROUPS T.R. Eriksen Foundation's donation helped pay Linda Posner $4,000 to facilitate these much-needed support groups from January 1 2022, through December 31, 2022. Both groups are back to meeting indoors, Each year I asked the participants of these support groups to write a few words about how these support groups impact their lives, here are a few of their responses.LIFE CHANGES TESTAMONALS (463 Participants)1) I cannot put into words how much this support groups means to me. T. J2)The support I receive gives me the strength to get up and face another day L.T3) I look forward to the loving nurturing healing environment. S.CPHYSICAL CHALLENGES TESTAMONIALS (397 Participants)1} Not having to face my struggles alone helps tremendously. K.L2} I need this group, thank god its available. G.R3} This group understands the unique challenges I face and thanks to them I do not have to face them alone. W.P TRANSPORATION From January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 we have provided 4,908 rides an increase of 38- from last year. T.R. Eriksen's grant monies allowed us to keep our transportation fares at $2.00 per trip in spite of inflation and significantly higher gas prices making transportation accessible for seniors on fixed incomes. 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 get their hair done at the salon.Our senior transportation has always placed the highest priority on getting seniors to and from their health care appointments, 413 Seniors were driven to medical appointments, 337 were transported to Adventist Health Howard Memorial for X-rays and lab work, 9 to surgeries, another 65 seniors were transported to physical therapy, and 73 to dental appointments. 34 seniors received specialized medical care unavailable locally; Volunteer drivers transported seniors to address their medical concerns as far away as the bay area and as close as Ukiah. Your Grant allows us to provide healthcare access to our aging seniors facing various health-related issues. This makes a meaningful difference in the lives of all those fortunate enough to benefit from this much needed service. Our seniors are 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. OUT EACH DEPARTMENT FINANCIAL REP PAYEE Sherry Bixler is our Outreach worker who oversees our Financial Representative Payee services. The purpose of this program is to protect seniors from financial abuse. We receive referrals from Mendocino County Department of Health and Human Services Adult Protective Services (APS) for clients that need financial protection. Recently APS implemented policy that they will only pay for the financial rep payee service for 2 years. That's when the senior center steps in and takes these clients on as private pay clients. Seniors are vulnerable to financial abuse and targeted for financial scams. Our outreach worker pays clients rent, utilities and grocery cards etc. She also prioritizes paying for needs versus wants. The clients we would be helping are all on Social Security or fixed incomes. T. R. Eriksens $4000 donation allowed us to retain the APS clients that would have otherwise been left to fend for themselves. This is such an essential service that provide financial protection for 40 at risk seniors.Brief update at what's going on at the senior centerWe are still distributing free firewood, over 25,000 pieces of firewood this year. We begin distributing firewood the first week of November until it runs out, we also loan our free of charge a variety of medical equipment including but not limited to, wheel chairs, front wheeled walkers, seated walkers, bedside commodes, wheel chairs, shower stool, chairs and benches, crutches and an occasional hospital bed, last year we helped over 998 individuals through this program. We have regular exercise classes Mon- Fri 9 to 10 am, Tuesday Computer lab, Friday Night Bingo. Sunday Pancake Breakfast. We also distribute food commodities at Laughlin Fields on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Volunteers contributed 7169 in-kind donation of their hours which saved the senior center $111,11.95 this year. We held a volunteer appreciation luncheon that was well attended and all the volunteers commented on how much the enjoy contributed to the senior centers efforts to provide essential services to our seniors. 33% of labor is provided by volunteers, we would not be able to keep our doors open without them.