From:
To: Diana Rich; City Council; [email protected]; Don Schwartz; Mary Gourley Subject: Preserve Funding for the Sebastopol Area Senior Center Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 9:09:34 AM
Dear Mayor Rich and Members of the Sebastopol City Council:
Thank you for struggling with the excruciating task of deciding where to cut funds to manage the anticipated budget shortfall. I am writing to ask that you maintain the budget of the Sebastopol Area Senior Center. As one of the 30% of Sebastopol’s population over age 65 and as a psychologist, I experience personally and professionally the exceptional value provided by this well-run organization.
On a personal level, I have benefited from technical assistance with my computer provided through the Center that I could not find elsewhere. A Seminar I attended there on Strokes informed my decision to seek medical care for my chronic high blood pressure. I value greatly the opportunity to socialize there while eating nutritious, reasonably priced lunches and at movie nights. I take advantage of relatively few of the Center’s offerings. The depth and breadth of their programs, including a ride program and many exercise classes, would be admirable for an organization with a much larger budget and staff.
As a psychologist, I see the health-related cost of the loneliness epidemic, especially for those in my age group. Those costs include obvious ones such as increased morbidity and hastened mortality as well as sharp increases in mental health issues.
As a citizen of Sebastopol, I want my tax dollars to support programs that are cost efficient and that prevent unnecessary suffering. The Sebastopol Area Senior Center meets those criteria. Please preserve the organization’s invaluable services by preserving their funding.
With gratitude for your work,
H. Jackson Peyton, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
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Jackson Peyton
Licensed Psychologist