Shepherds Center Of Kansas City Central

The Senior Companion Program matches seniors 55 and over in Jackson County, MO who live at or below 200% of the federal financial poverty line with homebound seniors. Senior Companions spend up to 30 hours per week providing assistance and friendship to low-income and isolated older adults, and respite for family members and/or caregivers. For their dedication, the Senior Companions are paid a small stipend and are reimbursed for their transportation. In 2024, 36 Senior Companions provided more than 32,000 hours of in-home companionship and caregiver support to 33 seniors in KCs urban core.

Resource and Referral and Other Continuum of Care Services. In 2024 KCSC provided 262 hours of case management to 49 clients, provided in-home vaccinations to homebound older adults and held vaccination clinics in senior living apartments, administering 452 vaccines to 321 clients, and assisted 197 older adults with durable medical equipment, assistive device replacements, rent, utilities, new beds, coats, home repairs, emergency food, car repairs and much more, totaling more than $8,600 thanks to generous donors.

Advocacy - True to KCSCs unique mission of respecting older adults experience and expertise to speak for themselves, lead, volunteer, serve and meet their own needs, KCSCs advocacy program facilitates increased engagement of older adults in self-advocacy, voter registration and turnout, and ongoing civic participation in self-determination and power sharing in policy that affects their health and wellbeing. We have taken a strong and apolitical stand in engaging in local and regional advocacy initiatives to ensure that the voice of the older adult, often ignored, is embedded in policy decisions that affect their health, financial security and wellbeing. KCSC is strategically positioned and has facilitated a unique aging-specific regional and broad-based collaboration of public, corporate, and community organizations to provide policy engagement opportunities for a community that is historically marginalized and excluded from power and political processes - older adults, particularly low-income, BIPOC and LGBTQ older

Adventures in Learning - Thirty-one Adventures in Learning volunteers provided programming to 122 repeat participants, for a total of 114 class hours and 1,276 volunteer hours. The AIL program facilitated the Evidence-Based program Matter of Balance offering 416 hours fall of prevention class time.

Medicare Assistance Program helps individuals & families understand how to navigate the Medicare system & secure supplemental insurance to meet their changing healthcare needs. The program helps clients enroll in Medicare Advantage Plans, select the best Medicare Supplement Plan & Medicare Part D Prescription Plan annually, file appeals for medical charges believed to be incorrect, enrollment in assistance programs from other state & federal sources, helps replace lost Medicare & Social Security cards & connects clients to other valuable resources through referral. Most clients benefit from meeting with MO CLAIM SHIP trained counselors by saving money and having better access to benefits they are entitled to. In 2024, seven volunteers provided 1,449 Medicare-eligible individuals with 1,063 hours of professional, compassionate carrier-agnostic, and free benefits counseling.