Foster Grandparent Program Seeks New Volunteers During Michigan Mentoring Month

Gov. Rick Snyder has declared January 2012 as Michigan Mentoring Month, recognizing the powerful impact personal connections can have on the lives of young Michiganders.

Observed in partnership with the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), Michigan Mentoring Month is designed to recognize the ordinary citizens who take the time to make a difference for Michigan's children and show how each of us - whether an individual, government, business or organization - can work together to encourage and increase the number of mentors.

Julie Calley, a member of the MCSC and wife of Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, said engaged mentors are essential to reinventing Michigan. "Mentoring can make a big difference in so many ways," Calley said. "It helps creates strong individuals; strong individuals create strong communities; strong communities give us a stronger Michigan. We urge each Michigan citizen to considering mentoring."

Volunteers in the Foster Grandparent Program at Senior Services have been making a big difference in Kalamazoo County since 1999, serving as mentors and tutors to over 300 children annually.  However, there are many more children that could benefit from the individualized attention of a Foster Grandparent and more Foster Grandparents are needed.

Foster Grandparents must be 55 years old or better, live within Kalamazoo County, and be willing to serve 15 hours per week in a school setting, working with children needing extra assistance to reach their full potential.  For those who qualify, a tax free hourly stipend of $2.65 will be provided.  If you are interested in becoming a Foster Grandparent or would like more information regarding the program, please call Karen Betley at (269) 382-0515 x 138.  

The latest "Best of Care" Catalog is now available on-line!

Click here to view Southwest Michigan's premier catalog of resources for older adults.  This outstanding publication is now in it 16th annual printing and in high demand.  Now you can access it from anywhere via the web. 

You can also pick up your free copy by stopping in to our offices in Kalamazoo.  We are located at 918 Jasper Street between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm weekdays.

Senior Services receives grant to bring menu choice to Meals on Wheels patrons

$45,000 Walmart Foundation-MOWAA Building the Future Vision Grant to upgrade Senior Services kitchen and software.

KALAMAZOO — Would you prefer Shepherd’s Pie or Chicken Parmesan today? Veal Italian? Hungarian Goulash? Homebound seniors in Kalamazoo will soon be offered a menu choice when receiving their home-delivered meals through the Meals on Wheels program of Senior Services of Southwest Michigan.

The Walmart Foundation through the Meals on Wheels Association of America has awarded Senior Services a $45,000 Building the Future Vision Grant to upgrade the agency’s kitchen and computer software. Senior Services of Southwest Michigan is the only recipient of the Vision grant in Michigan. Grant stipulations required a local ten percent match, which was provided through the Burdick-Thorne Foundation of Kalamazoo, bringing the total amount available for the improvements to $50,000.

The funds will make possible the construction of a new freezer addition to the building on Jasper Street, plus improve the customer-tracking software that will monitor menu orders.

These upgrades will enable Senior Services to offer a full menu of meal choices each day to homebound seniors beginning in Spring 2012. Currently, Meals on Wheels patrons receive a single meal option each day. Once the new program is up and running, eligible seniors will choose from a menu featuring more than 50 entrée selections.

“While we have done a wonderful job of offering meal variety on a day-to-day basis, we’ll soon be able to offer that variety each day. Would you like beef or fish today? How about lasagna or chicken?” said Bob Littke, president and CEO of Senior Services. “Offering this menu choice is an important way to add a measure of dignity to a homebound elder, and to improve their quality of life.”

The decision to apply for the grant and to encourage the agency toward offering menu choice was prompted by the Area Agency on Aging-Region IIIA, headed by Director Judy Sivak, which partners with Senior Services, Inc. in assuring that home bound older adults receive the nutrition they need to remain healthy and independent.

“There is a great deal of momentum across the state and nation to add menu choice to local Meals on Wheels programs,” Sivak said. “And I think this is a great thing. We want to empower older adults, and help them feel a true sense of independence. It’s really not just about their having a choice; but about their having control. So I’m very excited by this and very grateful to the Walmart Foundation and the Meals on Wheels Foundation of America for making the grant available, and to Senior Services for taking the steps needed to make menu choice a reality in Kalamazoo County.”

Nearly 2,700 meals are delivered each week to homebound seniors throughout Kalamazoo County from Senior Services. Another 950 meals are delivered weekly to area congregate sites for seniors who are not homebound.

Every one of the more than 250,000 meals prepared each year by Senior Services is better than 90 percent “made from scratch,” Littke said, featuring recipes made with fresh ingredients. “We have been very fortunate to enjoy the support of the Kalamazoo community since our beginnings in 1963. That generosity has allowed us to build a first-rate commercial “state-of-the-art” kitchen right here on Jasper Street that provides high-quality, nutritionally-balanced meals to older adults. One of the best times to be here is when the bread is coming out of our ovens. There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh-baked bread.”

Senior Safety Booklet Now Available On-Line
CLICK HERE to view the latest edition of the Triad Senior Safety Tips booklet.  For older adults and the people who care for our seniors, this booklet is making the community safer, with 22 current safety topics, and several Kalamazoo County resources and directories.  You will always be able to find the link to the Senior Safety Tips booklet in the column on the left side of every page of our website under the "Other Important Resources" heading.  You can also pick up free copies at Senior Services at 918 Jasper Street during business hours or contact Traci Furman 269-382-0515 extension 123.