From:
To: City Council
Cc: Don Schwartz
Subject: Don"t reduce your support for the Senior Center! Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 4:33:11 PM
To the Members of the Sebastopol City Council:
> Sebastopol is made up of over 30% people over the age of 60. Yet City Staff is considering cutting support to our Senior Center to $0.
> Last year, the Sebastopol Senior Center had 21,000+ visits to the Center, and:
>
• Over 6,000 reduced-cost meals served through the Harvest Café > • 5,700+ seniors participating in fitness and balance classes >
• 2,000+ occasions where seniors attended support groups to enhance their mental health > • 1,700+ times seniors engaged in LGBT+ activities or groups >
• 3,000 rides provided by dedicated volunteer drivers, primarily for healthcare appointments We are both volunteer drivers for the Center. Dena facilitates “Dying to Talk About It,” a monthly, heavily subscribed discussion group that encourages seniors to talk about issues of dying and death.
We cannot imagine how the City could justify reducing its contribution to the Senior Center’s operations. Cut anything else, if you have to. Don’t cut the services Sebastopol seniors need and use.
Dena Bliss and Neil Herring
Sebastopol