Week in Review : EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN THE NEWS : COUNTIES : Senior Groups See Funds Shrink
The social service safety net frayed a bit last week, especially for senior citizens.
Nearly 30 groups serving the elderly have applied for $4.3 million in federal and state funds for next year, but only $4 million is available.
The Board of Supervisors must decide who gets what.
After hearing some of the testimony, Supervisor Harriett Wieder, 65, said, “I don’t want to get old.”
An advisory board had recommended that a half-dozen requests be rejected, including one for Project TLC in Buena Park, a day care center for the elderly. But those who use the center fought back.
Dolores Henry, 60, called it “the only thing we have to look forward to.” For many like herself, it’s either the center “or go to a home. And I don’t want to go to a home,” she said.
Will Armstrong, 76, whose wife has a serious memory problem, said that without the center, “I would be in an awful mess.”
Grants recommended by the board included $30,000 to begin a new center for Vietnamese seniors, because the Asian population in the county has tripled in 10 years.
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