Generous donors allow Orcas Senior Center to launch home repair program

||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER |||

Thanks to so many generous donors, Orcas Senior Center’s 2021 GiveOrcas Holiday Catalog campaign through Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) was a success, and OSC’s new Home Maintenance and Repair (HM&R) Pilot Program reached its goal of $15,000 a whole day early. Many donations came in on the “game days,” and OSC was the grateful winner of Unique Donor Day’s $1,000 prize, with a grand total of 94 donations in 24 hours!   

One of the main barriers to aging well on Orcas is the decreased ability of seniors and adults with disabilities to maintain a safe home. The HM&R project stems from a critical need that was discovered as part of the HM&R Feasibility Study funded by a grant from OICF. It illuminated the fact that many seniors and adults with disabilities are unable to keep up with home repairs and ranked this even higher than health concerns. Today, the problem is compounded by the fact that many contractors in the San Juan Islands are currently too busy to take on small projects. The one-year HM&R Pilot Program will connect seniors and adults with disabilities with contractors to perform maintenance and repair work, allowing them to age safely in their homes.

To donate or to read more about the HM&R Pilot Program and OSC’s other offerings, please visit orcasseniors.org. Thank you again, Orcas Island community, and happy holidays!