Brian Penny.
Today I thought I would interview Brian Penny, our senior outreach coordinator at SCCS, to get an update on his programs and the work that we are doing with seniors in South County. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for joining me, Brian! It’s been a little while since we’ve updated our audience about senior programming—what have you been working on lately?
Well, lately, I have been working with our Senior Center Coordinator, Sherri Martin, and her advisory council in helping to develop ongoing health and wellness programs at the newly realized South County Senior Center here in Vicksburg. It has been very gratifying to see the evolution of a “grass roots” program begin to take shape and evolve, since it began as a community-based idea!
What have you been most excited about at the Senior Center?
That is a difficult question. With so many great programs and classes at the Senior Center, it is difficult to choose a favorite. If I had to choose one that excites me the most, it would have to be our “Healthier You” series! It is an ongoing six-part series presented by Dr. Katie Grossman. It is a series of Lunch & Learns presented every other month, with a focus on improving your health through key insights on longevity. Dr. Grossman presents a very informative and interactive session every other month, combined with nutrition, food, and recipes. It is exactly the kind of program that we want to be able to offer here!
Be sure to check out the schedule for upcoming classes, from now through November.
We have a lot of different food programs available for seniors. What are some of the ways that someone who is 55 years of age or better can get food from us?
We offer several great food supplemental programs for older adults in need. Of course, any Kalamazoo County resident can make an appointment to visit our Food Pantry at South County. We are open Monday-Thursday and community members can receive a food pantry twice a month, by appointment. However, if an individual is 55 or older and has trouble getting into our Food Pantry, we also offer a few additional options:
- On Wednesdays, we offer Senior Pantry Deliveries. This is an ideal program for homebound seniors. We utilize volunteers to assist with pulling pantry orders of food and delivering the items to our clients’ homes. Deliveries are available up to two times per month.
- We can also sign up individuals for CSFP, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. This is a program that provides a monthly food box distribution. It consists of approximately $50 worth of non-perishable groceries that are delivered once a month to your doorstep. It is a Loaves & Fishes Food program which provides the food boxes and utilizes SCCS to facilitate the application process and the Food box deliveries each month by volunteers, to the at-home recipients.
- Then we have Feeding Seniors in South County. Essentially, it is daily Meals-On-Wheels delivered to individuals experiencing a crisis or temporary setback, such as recovering from surgery or an illness. This program is ideal for someone who would normally not qualify for ongoing Meals-On-Wheels deliveries, but they just need a little extra to get by until they are back on their feet. We can enroll them for regular Meals-On-Wheels deliveries for up to two weeks, and SCCS will cover the costs.
Housing is another main priority for our agency—can you talk about Safe at Home and your work with the Village of Vicksburg?
Safe at Home is a program that was introduced to South County by the Vicksburg Rotary. And now with some generous funding through the Vicksburg Foundation, it continues to serve our community and help fill a very important unmet need: Aging-in-Place! As we all get older, living independently becomes a priority. Unfortunately, about 84% of people over 60 have done nothing to prepare for safe, independent living in their community. If an individual is ready to begin that process, or just needs some safety/accessibility modifications, they can contact me at South County Community Services. We can complete a quick home safety inspection as well as install safety devices, like grab bars, handrails, detectors, accessible ramps, etc. All at no cost to the homeowner, thanks to funding options and donations!
For the past two years, I have been working with the Village of Vicksburg to help facilitate their Home Repair Program. It utilizes local and federal AARPA funding to provide critical home repairs to income-qualifying homeowners in the Village. To date, we have worked with 23 local residents to help with various repairs like roofing, windows, doors, mechanical, and others. Currently, the program’s application process is closed because we are working within the final stages of that grant budget, and with our current applicants, we expect to finalize that program by early summer.
Is there anything I missed that you wanted to make sure people knew about?
As the Senior Outreach Coordinator for South County, my job, in a nutshell, is to create more awareness regarding our services to the older adults in our community, and to help them navigate and meet their needs either through the direct programs that we offer through South County or through other available services within the community. One of my favorite things about what I do is meeting with individuals. I enjoy learning more about them and finding out what their needs are and helping them connect the dots through available services or referrals. The great thing about Kalamazoo County is that there are so many great organizations that can assist with basic needs and promote safe independent living! The only problem is that often, people don’t know where to begin looking for answers/assistance when that time comes. I can be the first step in that process.
Thank you for joining me, and for all of the work that you do to support our seniors!
