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


Orcas Senior Center is recruiting for a part-time independent contractor to coordinate its Home Maintenance & Repair (HM&R) pilot program. The HM&R Coordinator will be responsible for receiving maintenance and repair requests, facilitating agreements with contractors, and assuring that work is done well and in a timely manner for seniors and adults with disabilities.

Successful candidates will be licensed, bonded, and insured. In addition, candidates must pass a background check and be willing to additionally list Orcas Senior Center as also insured on their policy.

The HM&R pilot project stems from a critical need discovered as part of a feasibility study (2017-2019), an assessment funded by a grant from the Orcas Island Community Foundation. It illuminated the problem that many seniors and adults with disabilities are unable to keep up with home repairs and ranked this higher than health concerns. Today, the problem is compounded because 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 licensed, bonded, and insured contractors to perform maintenance and repair work, allowing them to age safely in their homes. Homeowners will pay the contractors directly for all repairs. In the future, program resources may also include an HM&R Assistance Fund to subsidize home maintenance, repair, and safety modifications for lower-income seniors and adults with disabilities.

To apply and to see the scope of work for the HM&R Coordinator position, please go to the Orcas Senior Center website at www.orcasseniors.org. For inquiries contact (360) 919-9312 or admin@orcasseniors.org. Applications due Monday, February 4.


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