Critical senior center levy on November ballot
While the Holmes County Darby Snyder Senior Center may be recognized for feeding seniors inside its facility, it does far more than that, including delivering meals to seniors all over the county. The Holmes County Council on Aging Inc. levy has been officially placed on the November ballot.
At the weekly Holmes County Board of Commissioner meeting at the Old Jail on Monday, July 8, the Holmes County commissioners presented a resolution authorizing the placement of an additional levy on the November Holmes County ballot for the purpose of providing or maintaining senior citizens or facilities for the Holmes County Council on Aging Inc.
That focuses mainly on the Holmes County Darb Snyder Senior Center, which has been providing critical care, meals and more for senior citizens throughout Holmes County for decades.
The proposed amount of taxes on the ballot has been certified by the Holmes County auditor. It would be set to produce approximately $300,000.
The commissioners simply authorized the levy to be placed on the November ballot.
The levy would produce approximately $7 per $100,000 for property owners’ appraised value.
“So if a person had a $300,000 property, it would only be an additional $21 per year,” commissioner Joe Miller said.
Tabitha Strouse, chairperson of the board and director at the senior center, attended the commissioners’ weekly meeting and said while the organization receives support from grants and a current levy, it isn’t enough to consistently support the many programs that serve the senior community throughout Holmes County.
According to Strouse, the organization is currently working with $169,000 in funding through the area agency, and the agency is requiring the Holmes County Council on Aging to produce an audit, which would eat up $32,000 of those funds.
Strouse said the senior center recently had to purchase three new vehicles to replace worn-out ones, putting a financial burden on the organization.
“What we’re running on currently just isn’t enough,” Strouse said. “We’re not asking for a lot, but it will keep us afloat.”
She said they have relied heavily on grant funding to support their many programs, saying the senior center has been applying for every grant it can to produce funds.
She said with a need for a new walk-in freezer and fixing the entrance area to the senior center in Millersburg looming (through grant funding), there is going to be a financial crunch later this year.
“I’m hoping the community will come through for our seniors,” Strouse said. “It would be greatly appreciated, but for now we will keep trucking along best we can.”
Strouse explained to the commissioners that their prioritized services to the community include Meals on Wheels, a program that provides home-delivered meals daily to senior citizens all around Holmes County, a task that currently includes close to 140 meals per day being delivered.
In addition, they provide transportation for seniors to medical and other appointments to cities in neighboring counties and for shopping trips, provide daily lunch meals, offer computer classes for seniors, provide community services such as preventing scams focused on seniors, and provide an avenue for seniors to develop relationships.
“We don’t deny anybody services,” Strouse said, noting the delivery service is for anyone 60 years of age and older. “Most senior centers have a waiting list. We do not want to have to do that.”
In addition to the home meal deliveries on weekdays, the center also provides frozen meals for seniors on weekends. The program is on a donation basis, and because many seniors are on a fixed income, there isn’t often a lot of funding coming in through them.
She said the annual raw cost for food alone for the program is currently $104,000.
Strouse said Holmes County currently has the fastest growing senior population in the state.
Aside from the food, Strouse said the delivery personnel members serve another purpose, that of being a conduit to the community for the seniors. Drivers are the people who consistently check in on seniors at home, providing companionship and a security blanket should they encounter any physical or medical issues.
“For many of the seniors, we’re the only person they see all day,” Strouse said. “We’re not just dropping off a meal to their kitchen. It’s so much more than that. We’re taking care of them and making sure they’re OK. We need to take care of our seniors.”
Commissioner Dave Hall said while many people may view the organization as just the senior center, the services being provided branch out across the county and serve a critical role.