Senior Center Crisis COVID-19 IMPACTS PASADENA FACILITY’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE VITAL SERVICES BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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asadena Senior Center Executive Director Akila Gibbs hasn’t seen anything like the panic and desperation that has come with the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. ³%HIRUH , VWDUWHG ZRUNLQJ LQ WKH QRQSUR¿W ZRUOG , ZRUNHG LQ 79 QHZV IRU \HDUV ´ *LEEV VD\V ³, ZHQW WKURXJK DQG FRYHUHG PDMRU HDUWKTXDNHV DQG PDMRU GLVDVWHUV EXW QRWKLQJ FRPSDUHV WR the chaos that we’re going through right now. It’s almost as if VRPHRQH XQSOXJJHG WKH ZRUOG ,W¶V VSLQQLQJ RXW RI FRQWURO ´ 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ WKH 3DVDGHQD 6HQLRU &HQWHU LV UXQQLQJ WKURXJK LWV IXQGLQJ OLNH D VLHYH %HIRUH WKH VWDWH ORFNGRZQ WKH FHQWHU ZDV KRVWLQJ VHOHFW SURJUDPV IRU D IHZ SHRSOH SHU FODVV EXW WKHUH LVQ¶W money coming in. Gibbs predicts the center will lose $1 million because of the virus pandemic. “There’s not another organization in Pasadena that serves as PDQ\ VHQLRUV DV ZH GR ´ *LEEV VD\V ³, WKLQN , QHHG WR JHW SHRSOH to realize that. I want them to understand how much the city of Pasadena is counting on us the seniors in Pasadena are counting RQ XV /DVW \HDU SHRSOH FDPH WKURXJK RXU GRRUV ORRNLQJ IRU SURJUDPV DQG VHUYLFHV :H SURYLGHG XQLWV RI VHUYLFH ´ Now the Pasadena Senior Center is looking for help. To mainWDLQ LWV OHYHO RI SURJUDPPLQJ WKH VWDII LV ORRNLQJ IRU GRQDWLRQV YLD WHOHSKRQH RU ZHEVLWH SDVDGHQDVHQLRUFHQWHU RUJ $Q DGGLWLRQDO PLOOLRQ LV QHHGHG WR FRYHU &29,' UHODWHG ORVVHV WKLV ¿VFDO \HDU LI WKH 3DVDGHQD 6HQLRU &HQWHU LV JRLQJ to get through the crisis with the resources necessary to continue providing services and programs. 7KH FHQWHU LV RQH RI RQO\ D IHZ F QRQSUR¿W VHQLRU centers in the United States and the only one in the greater San Gabriel Valley that offers such a breadth of services. No funding is received from any government agency. If the center is forced to FORVH WKHUH ZLOO EH QR RWKHU RUJDQL]DWLRQ WR ¿OO WKH YRLG ³, WKLQN SHRSOH UHDOO\ IHHO OLNH ZH EHORQJ WR WKH FLW\ ´ *LEEV VD\V ³)LUVW RI DOO WKDW¶V EHFDXVH RI RXU QDPH 7KH FLW\ GRHV JLYH XV WKH EXLOGLQJ WR RSHUDWH RXW RI EXW ZH¶UH D QRQSUR¿W DQG ZH UDLVH HYHU\ FHQW ZH KDYH IRU SURJUDPV DQG VHUYLFHV ´
‘Financial crisis’ 7KH 3DVDGHQD 6HQLRU &HQWHU LV LQ D ¿QDQFLDO FULVLV *LEEV reports. She’s encouraging the public to get acquainted with the Pasadena Senior Center so they’ll go outside of their comfort zone to donate funds. “What I mean by that is most of the time people will give to WKH GLVHDVH WKDW DIIHFWHG WKHLU IDPLO\ RU WKHPVHOYHV ´ *LEEV DGGV ³,I \RXU PRWKHU GLHG IURP EUHDVW FDQFHU \RX¶OO JLYH PRQH\ WR GR more research on breast cancer. My mom died from Alzheimer’s. I give to the Alzheimer’s association 8 | ARROYO | 04.20
