The second Wednesday of every month, volunteers with Senior Resources of Freeborn County come together to deliver groceries from Channel One Food Bank to seniors at various locations around town.

As part of the Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors, volunteers deliver groceries including pasta, cereal, peanut butter, rice, processed cheese, and canned fruits and vegetables to residents at the Washington Avenue Apartments, Alden Heritage Apartments, Trailside Apartments, Shady Oaks, Senior Tower, Senior Court and about a dozen other homes. Recipients must be income eligible and 60 or older.

“The big thing here is lifting the boxes and getting them into their apartments,” said Annette Petersen with Senior Advocacy, an agency under Senior Resources.

The volunteers load the boxes of groceries on a cart and then one-by-one deliver them to the apartments that have signed up for the assistance.

“What we like is getting the thank yous and smiles,” said volunteer Gary Altfillisch.

The delivery of groceries is just one of many services offered by Senior Resources.

30 years of service

This month, Senior Resources is celebrating its 30th anniversary since forming in 1980.

Starting out as The Albert Lea Trades & Labor Community Services Corporation, in 1983 the charitable organization merged with the Community Resource Council to become the United Community Services Agency.

That name continued until 1987 when the name of Senior Resources of Freeborn County was adopted.

In the past 30 years, Senior Resources has provided services and programs including the Ride Services program, the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Advocacy, and Chore Services, among others.
What: Senior Resources open house

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19

Where: Skyline Plaza

Why: Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Senior Resources in Freeborn County and help the organization raise $30,000 for 30 more years of service.

Ride Services provides transportation to seniors in Freeborn County, while the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program helps people 55 and older put their skills and life experiences to work for their communities.

Senior Advocacy provides information and support services to senior citizens and their families, and the Chore Services program provides outdoor chore assistance to seniors in Freeborn County.

Senior Resources also sponsors the popular Tax Aide service during tax season.

Celebrating the anniversary and working toward the future

To celebrate the anniversary and all of the work that has been done over the years, the organization will have an open house March 19 in the center court of Skyline Plaza, where there will be refreshments, entertainment and displays about each program.

Petersen said this year Senior Resources were cut $20,000 — $10,000 from the city of Albert Lea and $10,000 from the Area Agency on Aging.

Because of this, the organization has begun a campaign to raise $30,000 that will go toward continuing the programs in place.
The Ride Services program provided 9,077 rides to seniors and others in need.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program matched 678 volunteers with 57 community organizations who donated 52,621 hours of service

The Chore Service program gave 37 seniors 1,597 hours of help in maintaining their homes

The Family Caregiver Network program provided 422 hours of volunteer respite

The Guardian/Conservator program provided substitute decision making services for 18 vulnerable adults

The Senior Advocacy program served 3,617 seniors and their families with direct one-on-one support, information and referral services.

The quarterly Senior Scene sent out 5,000 issues to seniors and their families and community leaders.

Filed over 2,000 federal and state tax returns for 1,213 persons through the AARP Tax Aide Service sponsored by the agency.

“Our donations are more important than ever to keep the level of services where they’re at,” Petersen said.

Ironically the cuts have come at a time when the need for services has actually increased, she said.

RSVP Director Pat Stumme said the decrease in funding will ultimately decrease the amount the organization can do if it is not able to fundraised in some other way.

If that amount is not raised, she and the other program leaders will have to cut back on programs and cut back on training, she said.

“It’s as important as ever for people to volunteer,” Petersen said.

She credited the many volunteers who are part of Senior Resources in meeting the need.

Sharon Waltz, who recently started volunteering with Senior Resources, said she got involved because she wanted to do something to give back to the community. While she couldn’t give back financially, should could give of her time and physical efforts.

“It’s a fun job because the people really appreciate it,” said Altfillisch, who has volunteered with Senior Resources for about six years.

The volunteers also get the opportunity to meet new people as they give of their time.

“It’s almost immeasurable the kinds of satisfaction that people receive when they volunteer,” Stumme said. “It’s not only the folks who give of their time but the folks who benefit from that time — the skills learned, the friendships made.”

Stumme said RSVP volunteers donated more than 52,000 hours of service during 2009, which calculated out to a value of more than $300,000.

“It makes a big difference in the community,” she said.

The organizations leaders said they hope the programs will be able to survive another 30 years.

To contact Senior Resources staff or to make a contribution, contact the organization’s office at 377-2377 or attend the open house next week.