Outreach in Action

Inter-agency efforts assist seniors in and around Stockbridge

Stockbridge Community Outreach collaborates with Tri-County Office on Aging to help local seniors with services like Meals on Wheels and Senior Dining Sites.

by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall

“It takes a village to raise a child,” goes the adage, but folks with many more years under their belts also profoundly benefit from coordinated, community-based efforts on their behalf.  Stockbridge Community Outreach works locally in inter-agency collaboration to help seniors on limited incomes live in dignity while managing health and mobility challenges. And, in a new role, former Outreach director Karen Smith continues to be a key player in that coordinated effort.

Now a special projects coordinator with the Tri-County Office on Aging, Smith works in an organization that deals with many clients who desire dignified independent living, both in the Stockbridge area and in the greater Ingham-Clinton-Eaton sphere.

“One of the best things about my new job is that I’m still able to help seniors in Stockbridge,” Smith said.

Case in point: a program called “Project Choices,” which offers an alternative to nursing home care. Smith explained that, in most cases, a nurse and social worker employed by the agency help eligible folks design a plan of care respecting their desire to remain at home or live in a setting of their choice.

“Project Choices helps promote and preserve the independence and dignity of the aging population while helping to meet their daily needs,” she said.

But the help offered by Tri-County Office on Aging doesn’t end there.  Other programs include:

• Helping people remain in their homes. Clients who need support may be eligible for help with chores, snow removal, yard work, weatherization, accessibility improvements, and other services. Smith said that, with help from the year-old Ingham County Elder Persons Millage, the agency has funded two home repair projects in the Stockbridge community in just the last few months.
• Meals. “Meals on Wheels” and “Senior Dining Sites,” both overseen by the agency, offer free meals delivered directly to clients’ doors and prepared food for central distribution to those over 60.  In Stockbridge, senior meals are currently staged for distribution at the Township Hall.
• Social contact. The agency’s “Friendly Caller Program” helps combat social isolation, engaging volunteers to conduct check-in phone calls—generally once per week—to chat and serve as a bridge to additional resources.

Says Smith of her new role: “Stockbridge is never far from my mind and not a day goes by where I don’t think “Outreach needs this information!” Outreach Director Gwen Reid, in turn, says Outreach is glad to have the information and to make use of it.

Tri-County Office on Aging sponsors many other programs, including caregiver respite programs, wellness classes, and assistance with utility or prescription drug payments. To learn more about these or other programs, check out the agency’s website at www.tcoa.org , give them a call at 517-887-1440, or stop by the Stockbridge Community Outreach office and our friendly, knowledgeable director, Gwen Reid, will be happy to help you.

Jo Mayer is the Board Chair for Stockbridge Community Outreach and Paul Crandall is an Outreach volunteer.

This column is sponsored by Stockbridge Community Outreach—our local food pantry, crisis, and referral center located in the Stockbridge Activity Center (old middle school) near Cherry & Elm Streets in Stockbridge. Office hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 1-3 p.m. and by appointment. Email Outreach at [email protected], call at 517-851-7285, or find us on Facebook at Stockbridge Community Outreach.