New board members elected, community supporters honored at Senior Resources’ 55th Annual Meeting

The Board of Directors at Senior Resources held its 55th Annual Meeting on Monday, December 12 to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments, introduce new board members, and recognize the support of several key community partners. The FY2022 Annual Report was also presented at the meeting and can be viewed online at: https://www.seniorresourcesinc.org/about-us/annual-report/

Elected as new board members were Dawn Hyde, Head of Staff and Senior Pastor at Downtown Church, Christina Kimball, the lead director for CVS Health, Robert Simmons, owner of Results Fitness, Jaton Smith, a Manager of Relations at Dominion Energy, and Holley Van Horn, the Community Relations Coordinator at Lourie Life and Health.

Current board President Connelly-Anne Ragley is ending her two-year term and will remain on the board for one additional year as immediate past President.

The Board of Directors elected the following officers to serve for 2023:

• Chris Zecopoulos- President
• Catherine Perry- Vice President
• Scott Raven- Treasurer
• Keonye Johnson- Secretary

Six annual awards were given to individuals and agencies within the community who showed extraordinary support for Senior Resources in FY2022.

The Community Partner Award, given to a corporation, church, or organization that has provided major support to Senior Resources through financial donation, sponsorship, or assistance with a significant project or needed service, was granted to Harbison Housing Foundation. Since 2011, the Harbison Housing Foundation has provided significant support to our Meals on Wheels program, delivering thousands of meals every year to our vulnerable senior community. Their unwavering support has provided our organization with stability during unstable times and allowed us to serve our mission of empowering seniors to remain healthy and in their homes. Their gift totaling $240,000 over the years, is a significant financial donation for our organization and supports our staff to provide services that empower seniors to age in their homes with dignity.

The Corporate Support Award, given for significant support of Senior Resources through financial donations or in-kind support, was given to UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare joined us as a new partner in 2021 to fund our Senior Home Nutrition program, a pilot program in its second year providing 8 weeks of frozen meals and wellness checks for seniors who are discharged from a medical facility. UnitedHealthcare’s leadership throughout the first year of the program provided significant support to our team and was a large part of the program’s positive results. The pilot program is the first of its kind in South Carolina and it is the first year proved that participants were three times less likely to be readmitted when participating in the program. UnitedHealthcare’s financial contribution funded staffing, coordination, and meals to provide clients with adequate care to heal in their homes. In addition to the support of the Senior Homes Nutrition Program, UnitedHealthcare has proceeded with marketing support and community outreach to their own member to identify food-insecure seniors in our community and refer them to Meals on Wheels.

The Leonard L. Price Fundraising Award recognizes an individual or group who has gone above and beyond in their fundraising efforts for Senior Resources’ programs, including using their resources to help raise awareness which has aided in the agency’s fundraising efforts. The award was presented to Shandon United Methodist Church. Shandon Methodist goes above and beyond with its support for our community in so many ways. Gifts from their congregation, Sunday school classes, and United Methodist Women’s group provided hundreds of meals to our community annually. In addition, many of the congregation provide in-kind support and join us daily to help deliver Meals on Wheels. Their members are leaders throughout our community, serving with many non-profits to better the lives of our neighbors. We are grateful for their congregation’s support at our events, within our programs, and their fundraising efforts to better the lives of our senior community.

The Season of Service Award is given to a volunteer who has served Senior Resources over time with dedication, enthusiasm, passion, and distinction. This year’s award was given to Darryl Williams. Darryl Williams has served with Senior Resources for many years and this past fiscal year he delivered 136 routes and served 201 hours. His service never stopped at the last doorstep and his engagement in our mission to deliver more than just a meal was always evident in his thorough reporting after his service. He offered many times to provide our clients with services outside the realm of just delivering a meal. He was instrumental in the implementation of the new software we use for Meals on Wheels, ensuring every route was accurately routed and most efficient to provide the best experience for other volunteers. His kind demeanor and enthusiasm in serving our food-insecure and isolated seniors are most appreciated throughout our entire organization.

The Billy Webster Award is given to a person who exemplifies the spirit of giving. This year’s award was given to Curtiss Gore. Compassionate and philanthropic, Curtiss Gore exemplifies the spirit of giving in so many ways. This past year he delivered 174 routes and served 196 hours, delivering meals to the doorsteps of our elderly neighbors. In addition to delivering over a thousand meals, Mr. Gore also financially donated nearly 100 additional meals to ensure the seniors he served would not have to fear where their next meal would come from. Never wanting recognition for his service and good deeds, a simple “thank you” never felt like enough to show him our gratitude for his service.

The Deborah Bower Leadership Award named for our former Executive Director, Deborah Bower, who lost her battle with cancer before she was done serving the seniors of our community, recognizes outstanding leadership provided by an individual in support of our mission. This year’s award is given to Vince Ford. Vince Ford’s career has been the model of community leadership on issues of public health. His works have expanded healthcare access and addressed the social determinants of health that often derail the health and well-being of the underserved population, including those of seniors we serve in Richland County. Most recently, in 2021, Mr. Ford led Prisma Health’s partnership with Senior Resources to create the Senior Home Nutrition Program, an at-home meal and wellness check program for at-risk seniors discharged from the hospital to prevent readmission and increase food access. In addition, he previously served on the Senior Resources Board from 2007-2012, the same period our organization was capably led by the award namesake, Ms. Deborah Bower. We, unfortunately, lost Mr. Ford last Tuesday, a heartbreak to so many in our community. We are beyond grateful for his service and advocacy for helping seniors age well throughout his years. We are honored to present the Deborag Bower Leadership award to Mr. Ford in memory of his leadership to our organization and so many others. This award will be presented to his family at a later date.

About Senior Resources

Senior Resources is a non-profit organization that coordinates services, provides resources and encourages the personal choices that allow Columbia’s senior citizens to remain independent. All activities, services and programs of the agency are geared toward promoting independent living, with the goal of helping seniors remain in their homes as long as possible through the support of staff and volunteers, and delaying or preventing institutionalization.

Since 1967, Senior Resources has served Columbia’s frail and elderly residents in three areas:

1) In-home services, including Meals on Wheels, home care, respite care, senior companion services, and case management;

2) Community-based services, including congregate meals, wellness centers, transportation, and physical fitness;

3) Volunteer services, including the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs.

With local, state and federal government funding, as well as contributions from United Way, personal donations and fundraising activities, Senior Resources offers a variety of programs so that our clients can select the assistance they need to maintain a healthy and independent lifestyle. With the support of our staff and volunteers, our services touch the lives of more than 4,000 Midlands residents