Serving Seniors

Serving Seniors' goal is to provide low-income seniors with life sustaining services in a welcoming and supportive environment where they can get the help they need. Nearly 5,000 low-income seniors rely on Serving Seniors every year, and we are proud to provide all our services free of charge.

We assess the specific challenges (transportation, mobility) and needs (accessible, reliable meals and healthcare) of seniors and design programs and services to meet those needs. Our coordinated wellness model addresses many senior issues under one roof, making it easy, convenient and efficient for seniors to access the services they need. Through our collaborative partnerships, Serving Seniors is able to provide nutrition, case management, care coordination, mental health services, lifelong learning opportunities, advocacy, permanent supportive housing for low-income seniors and transitional housing for homeless seniors. This safety net of services encourages seniors to live healthier lives and facilitates successful aging. As a result, seniors stay out of emergency rooms, spend fewer days in hospitals and delay and/or eliminate the need for long-term care.

Our Programs Include:

Nutrition: Healthy, satisfying, culturally diverse meals 365 days a year. Nearly 600,000 meals served each year across 9 congregate dining sites and delivered to 500+ homebound seniors. Housing: We own 350 units of affordable, permanent, senior-friendly housing. We also operate a homeless outreach, support and transitional housing program. Health and Supportive Services: We provide Nutrition and health education, free legal assistance regarding Medicare, Medi-Cal and other health care access, support groups, social services, case management and other types of support for clients. Advocacy: We work with local and national elected officials on legislation and issues that affect seniors. Lifelong Learning: We provide more than 750 learning, socialization and fitness opportunities in a single year.

More than 1,000 seniors are off the streets because of the Transitional Housing Program for Homeless Seniors. This program boasts a 92% success rate. We will continue helping homeless seniors find stability and affordable housing.

Serving Seniors owns 350 units of affordable senior housing, in which we also provide meals, social services and socialization opportunities for senior residents. We have 8 new housing projects in the pipeline.

Serving Seniors provides breakfast and lunch to seniors aged 60 or older seven days a week, 365 days a year, at the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, and 5 days a week at 8 additional sites. Serving Seniors also delivers breakfast and lunch to more than 500 homebound seniors every day. Each year, we serve nearly 600,000 meals; nearly 240,000 of those meals are delivered to homebound seniors. We ask for a small donation for meals, but no one is ever sent away for being unable to contribute. We want to expand our meal program to include a dinner option, a "bagged meal to go" option, and a salad bar option.

Serving Seniors' Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center reinvents the concept of a senior activity center. Visitors are inspired by the bright, modern design and warm energy throughout the building, which is LEED Certified for its resource efficiency. Seniors visit the Wellness Center for: Meals; exercise classes and groups; health services, education and assistance; educational classes; hobby workshops; ice cream socials and other socialization opportunities; to use (or get help using) a computer.

Serving Seniors' Civic Engagement Group engages and empowers low-income seniors in addressing challenges that impact the senior community. Program participants meet weekly to identify concerns and work together to develop strategies for addressing key issues.

A subgroup of the Civic Engagement Group, the Senior Leadership Development Institute focuses specifically on providing seniors with the knowledge, tools and training they need to be active and engaged community leaders. Seniors attend workshops on public speaking, how to be a compelling advocate, social and political issues and more.

Our dedicated team helps seniors address a variety of challenges: obtaining social security benefits, arranging transportation, scheduling health appointments, making contact with local agencies to resolve problems, and much more.

Serving Seniors' Pet Pals Program helps disadvantaged seniors care for their companion animals by providing pet food and supplies, free of charge. We want to expand this program to offer assistance with emergency veterinary bills.