Senior Citizens Of Teton County Inc

Wellness: Eight hours of fitness programing, including Tai Chi (2 hours), Yoga (1 hour), and Fit and Fall Proof (4 hours) and drumming for exercise (1 hour) are offered each week. In addition, we host clinics for blood pressure monitoring, vaccinations, and health screenings. Medical professionals visit regularly to discuss issues like mental health, diabetes prevention and management, nutrition, and heart health. All wellness programs are offered free of charge, though some volunteer instructors accept small donations. Fit and Fall Proof is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Public Health, which offers training and material support to volunteer instructors recruited by Seniors West of the Tetons. Since all these programs are offered by volunteers, the only cost to SWOT is an estimated facility fee for utilities, equipment, storage and other costs.

Diverse Programming: Since the end of the Covid closure, our program offerings have really taken off, far exceeding the offerings prior to Covid. Regular recreational and social activities (bridge, mah jong, coffee klatsch, bingo), club meetings and craft workshops take place almost every day in the center or other facilities through partnerships with other non-profits and businesses. There are educational forums and entertainments, like the popular Pizza and a Movie series, several afternoons a week and the center hosts many community events in the evenings. Along with the daily fitness classes and lunch, all this programming makes SWOT a lively organization. Much of this development in programming is related to changes we have made in our facility and staffing. We have added upgraded or remodeled our facilities to accommodate a wide variety of events and programs, which supports our conception of the SCC as a genuine community center rather than just a dining room. This programming is facilitated by a full-time operations and programs director, as well as by our executive director, who spends approximately 70% of her time on program management. Our programming now extends well beyond the center. In early 2023, we were awarded $32,000 in grants by local foundations to replace our decrepit bus. A "buy-a-seat" fundraising campaign raised another $20,000 and with additional funds drawn from our capital projects fund we were able to purchase a new 15-passenger van which arrived in March 2024, which enabled us to offer 28 field trips to area parks, museums, theaters and other attractions.

Advocacy, Communication and Outreach: Seniors West of the Tetons partners with our regional Area Agency on Aging to ensure services are available to keep seniors in their homes. We provide assistance with Medicare and other health insurance, federal and state taxes, access to health care, and general referrals to other services. This advocacy is channeled through our monthly print newsletter, which is mailed to over 550 seniors and community members, and regular online news updates. Our website and social media keep seniors informed about community happenings, senior center events and issues of concern to seniors, like Medicare enrollment and health care services. Our administrative data system, My Senior Center, allows us to make frequent and targeted contacts with seniors, to track their participation in activities and events, and to link them directly with services and programs of interest. Our volunteers constitute another crucial component in our advocacy and communication strategy. Whether it is at a meal delivery, fitness class or event, it is likely that a volunteer will be the point of contact between the organization and the client and will be the one to relay concerns and interests to our staff members.

Hosting. In recent years, SWOT has been able to attract programming and services from other agencies, organizations and individuals through a policy of offering its facilities and programming assistance at a reduced rate to operations that engage or benefit seniors. The large dining room can be configured to seat 90 for a multimedia presentation and the tables can be moved to accommodate many different types of events and activities. A number of clubs and organizations (the quilters' guild, Alcoholics Anonymous, a children's choir, etc.) hold regular meetings in the Center. Other local non-profits often rent the facility for their conferences and events. These arrangements have proven mutually beneficial. The renting organization gets a highly functional space at an affordable rate and SWOT is able to offer in-house programming that would be otherwise beyond its means. SWOT's hosting extends to professional services for seniors, including Teton Valley VITA, a free tax preparation service, and Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA), which offers assistance with Medicare enrollments and claims. Having these services available in a familiar, face-to-face setting is a tremendous benefit to Teton Valley seniors, especially considering how limited and expensive equivalent professional services are in our area. Finally, we have developed several event partnerships, like the recent adventure travel series organized by a local individual. Although not all of these are directly aimed at seniors, seniors often make up the bulk of the audience. In this partnership arrangement, SWOT provides the facility set-up and technical support, and the event organizer focuses on the event itself. Again, SWOT is making use of the systems and resources it has built in the last five years to leverage programs and services that we could not offer on our own. This broad hosting program has come with a cost. Facility rentals for private parties were once a major source of revenue for SWOT. By discontinuing these private rentals and outfitting the Center to attract the kind of programming our seniors wanted and needed, we sacrificed some revenue but greatly increased the scope of service to our community.