Orcas Senior Center: What Community Collaboration is All About!

— by Margie Doyle —

Volunteers pack up leftovers from the Granny’s Attic sale at the Senior Center to benefit Kaleidoscope

The benefits of collaboration, rather than “going it alone” are obvious at the Orcas Senior Center these days. Orcas Issues recently met with Jami Mitchell and Arron Redford to learn of the energy propelling the Center, which serves thousands of islanders year-round.

“We’re going like gangbusters, with changes and growth. There are so many things that we’re excited and proud about,” said Arron Redford, the Orcas Senior Center Manager, who works under the direction of the non-profit Senior Services Council-Orcas Branch. Her Senior Center counterpart is the county employee and Arron’s look-alike, Jami Mitchell, Senior Services Specialist.

For starters, there’s the recent Granny’s Attic sale one of the Senior Center’s largest fund raisers. The sale itself raise $10,000, thanks to many volunteers and the Senior Center staff.

At the end of the sale, the leftovers were hauled away, thanks to enthusiastic volunteers (pictured above) and partnership with Kaleidoscope Childcare Center, who delivered the truckload of remainders to Value Village on the mainland. Kaleidoscope was then paid by the weight of the donated goods.

Arron Redford, enjoying herself with Seniors at another Senior outing

Arron Redford said,”Nothing was wasted, and it felt good for all the volunteers to know the solution benefited another island nonprofit.There were 30 volunteers on the day of the sale; previous groups had worked pricing, storing and staging the sale.” Some of the volunteers, who rounded up others, included:

• Ron Klaus and the Orcas Christian School
• Phil Comito and Orcas High School’s leadership class
• Timothy Lunde and the Friends of the Library
• the Odd Fellows
• Ryan Carpenter, TJ Meany, and the Orcas Island Community Church

Island organizations and businesses that also helped with the leftovers were Olga Daze, Score, Nifty Thrifty and Mr. and Miscellaneous.

There are still some unsold items that will be in the lobby of the Senior Center for the next few weeks, until they are moved to storage on North Beach Road, but the items can still be purchased through the Senior Center’s website, www.orcasseniors.org.

Jami Mitchell with her younger son on a Senior Center outing

The website has been revamped thanks to assistance from the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF), which provided website assistance to several non-profit organizations serving community needs, such as the Orcas Community Resource Center and Moran State Park.

Programming has increased; due in great part to previous years’ funding support from OICF’s “GiveOrcas” campaign. Those funds gave the Senior Center “a safety net to go out and take the risk to finance teachers and presenters,” Arron Redford explained. Costs are minimal, some by donation, for ongoing sessions in meditation, weight training, chair yoga, laughter yoga and growing independence, among others.

Last month the Senior Center concluded a three-session “Wills and Estate Planning” seminar with 25 people. The free program was coordinated with the Public Library, and was so popular that it turned away nearly as many as it engaged, with a new session scheduled for this month. (Call the Senior Center at 376-2677 to enroll).

Meals on Wheels and More
Perhaps the most recognized service through the Senior Center is the “Meals on Wheels and More” food service, provided with the assistance of the Whatcom Council on Aging. The statistics on Orcas Island are impressive:

Figures from 2016 show that, on Orcas Island, more than 10,000 meals were served through  “Meals on Wheels and More.” About 2,000 of those meals were delivered by volunteer drivers to 20-25 locations a week. Mitchell said that the meal service doubled last year, and suggests that may be due to persons “aging” into the system, or increased staffing and/or visibility.

The lunch program includes lunches served three times per week at the Senior Center and home deliveries by volunteer drivers. About 50 people usually come to the lunches at the Center, which are by donation for people 60+ and cost $6 per person for people under 60. The Center encourages the public to come to the Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to enjoy the meal, which starts at 11:30.

Mitchell emphasizes that community members including non-seniors are welcome at all the lunches at the Senior Center. Seating at the lunches rarely are filled to capacity and additional people contributing donations for the meal helps support the meals program. (For a monthly lunch menu, check out the monthly newsletter at orcasseniors.org/May-2017.pdf)

On June 1, the prices will rise to $7 for those under 60 years old; for those over 60, the suggested donation remains $5 per meal. No one is turned away for lack of funding; all contributions help underwrite the program for others.

Beyond offering food, Orcas Center and the Whatcom Council on Aging also provided essential information and calls to action for the public to make known the value they place on the program and its impacts. First some facts:

Meals on Wheels and More (the “More” being lunches at the Senior Center three times a week):

• receives approximately one-third of its funding from federal grants through the Older Americans Act;
• receives approximately $30,000/year in Community Development Block Grant Funding through the City of Bellingham;
• receives nearly two-thirds of its funding from  local governments, local partners, private donations, non-federal grants, meal participant donations and fundraising.

Those who wish to contact government officials about the program are advised to to to www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org and click on the “Take Action’ and “Advocate ” buttons, or to call 360-733-4030 ext. 1025, or email jmeyers@wccoa.org

Additional services for Seniors have been added on Orcas; most recently Orcas Door to Door, an on-island volunteer driving program, “designed to help island residents get to on-island medical appointments and shopping trips as well as social and community events.” The initiative is under the auspices of Lahari Aging on Orcas non-profit, directed by Dennis King.

“Transportation is a challenging part with many islanders living in remote parts of the island. The “Orcas Door to Door” initiative will be ”really beneficial to the Orcas Community,” says Redford.

Rides are provided by volunteer drivers using their personal vehicles, and requesting a ride is as simple as making a phone call at least three days in advance. For more information or to volunteer, go to orcasdoortodoor.org.

Feasibilty study
This year, the Senior Center hopes to flesh out the needs and resources for those wanting to remain in their homes on Orcas Island, through its funding request to OICF’s GiveOrcas campaign for a feasibility study. The study will determine the needs of “the Silver Tsunami,” the growing demographic of island residents over 60. It is designed to Identify the needs of islanders wishing to “Age in Place.” Some of those needs may be additional transportation, home maintenance, personal care, and creating a comprehensive support system for a fast growing population.

“We’re getting ready to catch that need at the Senior Center,” saysRedford, by  conducting group discussions, and visiting other Senior Centers and organizations.

“There is no central organization that recommends services in the home such as housekeeping, landscaping. If [the study determines that] such a resource is needed, the Senior Center could vet independent contractors for safety and work with them to normalize rates,” said Redford.

New faces at the Center
With more people coming to the Senior Center, there is not only an increased participation in Center events and services; there is also an increase in volunteers – who sometimes progress to become staff members. This was the case with Kristin Della Santa, who was recently hired to provide administrative support.

She is one of several new faces at the Center. Delphina Liles was hired by the County last year as the Aging & Family Case Coordinator; and Sara Boyle just started working for the non-profit as the Communications and Fundraising Administrator.

Redord says, “The secret to success is collaboration and inclusion. Since coming to the Center I’ve learned the value of reaching out, delegating and receiving help, not doing it all independently.”

Jami Mitchell and Arron Redford emphasize the importance of learning from mistakes, willingness to delegate, and commitment to the cause. “In this environment, we don’t want to feel competition for funds. We can work together and share information and technology and run a successful OICF campaign to improve all of our island organizations.”

Indeed, the Senior Center is fast gaining recognition for its partnerships.  Interested in collaborating?  Give Arron or Jami a call – 376-2677.