INC NEWS - a sad day in Durham

[TheOcean1 at aol.com]

To all interested media:
 
I've made a lot of public statements over the years, and this is one that  
I've been trying to avoid for about two years. I loved this agency during my  
dozen+ plus years as their spokesman. These past couple have been as painful as  
watching a child die. 
 
Would I make this stuff up, especially about "Services to Durham Seniors"?  

Since the Board, and the management can't seem to save the agency, it is  
time to let the public know. Please allow me some space to make the following  
statement.
 
Thank you, regretfully, 
 
Bill Anderson
======================
 
As a senior advocate working the better part of the past 15 years to build  
the Center for Senior Life, let me be the first to say the current  program 
offerings are "unacceptable".
 
The building is beautiful, but buildings don't serve seniors. If seniors  
find services there it's because the agencies in side provide them. Of the  
agencies slated to move in, the lead agency, the Council for Senior  Citizens is in 
dire trouble. 
 
As the senior population is mushrooming, this once thriving nonprofit has  
been floundering. A website can be changed in minutes,  so visit quickly: 
_www.councilseniorcitizens.org_ (http://www.councilseniorcitizens.org/)  and  it 
will reveal:
 
* No current listing of their senior centers, but centers  mentioned, that 
have served for 40-50 years, Memorial, Northgate, West  Durham, Crest Street and 
East Durham Senior Centers have all closed  recently. Likewise one of the two 
adult day cares, Community Way.
 
* No activities found, except "trips". These trips have been promoted by  the 
staffer who's enjoyed a half dozen free cruises. I got no response from  the 
Board asking how this program serves Durham seniors, who pay as much as  
$1,000 too much and send their money to a home based travel agent in Pa.
 
* No money to finish the kitchen and up fit the theater? Look closely at  the 
campaign information. The $1.1 million the agency claims to have raised  
includes grants from FEMA, and other questionable entries. With a dozen years of  
full time service as the agency's spokesman, I'm in a position to know. The  
agency would have more money today, if it had ended the campaign four years 
ago,  and put what money it had into CDs. 
 
 The website, unless it has been changed, asks for your contributions  to be 
mailed to a location long ago abandoned, or to call  a phone number long ago 
disconnected. 
 
* My largest concern is the lack of activities. Ten years ago, the agency  
had more than 100 great activities for seniors to sign up and enjoy. Four years  
ago they hired the first Program Director and have since squandered more than 
 $200,000 in salary to reduce the activities list to a paltry few. 
 
I've voiced these concerns, first to the management, then to the Board, but  
have received no more than a "thanks for your questions", and a promise of a  
reply that never came.
 
Durham has done a great thing to construct the new center, but the list of  
activities presented is barely worth putting up a tent, much less a $5.5 
million  building. Let's hope the Council for Senior Citizens can learn to fill the 
large  shoes we've provided them. Some members of their Board have a sense of 
urgency,  but not enough to outweigh the complacency of the rest.
 
 If enough folks reach that website before it is hidden, perhaps I  won't be 
the only one yelling foul.
 
 Durham seniors deserve more, and expect more, and this list of  programs and 
services is entirely "unacceptable".
 
Bill

Bill Anderson (919) 688 4550

 
========== the list of services now (straight from their program  schedule), 
when ten years ago there were over 100 cool things  available:
 
 
Durham Center for Senior Life 

Key Programs and  Services 
Information & Case  Assistance 
Caregiver Support, Health  Promotion 
Educational,  Recreational 
Social and Senior Center  Activities 
Community Life Adult Day Care  Services 

New Programs and Services (Beginning June 12,  2006) 
    *   Board Games:   Monday and Wednesday:  9:00  a.m. - 11:30 a.m.  
    *   Low Impact Exercise:  Tuesday and Thursday:  11:00 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.  
 
    *   Coffee, Tea, Conversation, Current Events, Show and  Tell:   
Fridays:  9:00 a.m.  - 11:30  a.m. 
    *   Movie Matinee:   Friday:  2:00 p.m. - 4:00  p.m.  
    *   Book Club:   Thursday:  10: 00 a.m. -  12:00 noon    
    *   Volunteer Services by RSVP:  Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and   
    *   Thursday:   1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.  
    *   June 14: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.:  Medicaid Forum/ Department of 
Social  Services Staff  
    *   June 22:   2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.:   Seniors and Law Enforcement 
Together Staff:  “Protecting Yourself from  Fraud”
·        June  28:  10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.:  North  Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose & 
Throat Hospital Staff:  Glaucoma, Vision and Hearing  Screening

New Programs and Services (Beginning July 19,  2006) 
    *   July 19:   10:00 am – 11:00 am               Medicaid Forum:  DSS  
Staff  
    *   July 20:   12:00 n    – 2:00  pm    Over 90’s Party – A Celebration 
of  Life  
    *   July 25:  10:00 am – 11:30 am               Transportation Forum    
    *   July 31:    2:00 pm – 3:30 pm   It’s Your Turn-Caring for your Aging 
 Parent
Note:  The programs listed as  beginning in June: board games, conversation, 
current events, show and tell,  exercise, book club, movie matinee and 
volunteer services will continue each  month.  Others to be added as  developed 
and/or finalized. 
Durham Department of Social Services Medicaid and Adult Services Case  
Management staff will provide on-site services each week in July. 
Gloria Green, Program  Director


(919) 688-8247 
==================================



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/private/inc-list/attachments/20060520/44ac8671/attachment-0001.htm