Jan 14: Serving Seniors Receives $60,000 Grant Award From The S. Mark Taper Foundation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Edith A. Glassey, Chief Philanthropy Officer
(619) 548-5179
edith.glassey@servingseniors.org
SERVING SENIORS RECEIVES $60,000 GRANT AWARD
FROM THE S. MARK TAPER FOUNDATION
San Diego - January 14, 2021 – Serving Seniors, the nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income and homeless seniors throughout San Diego, is pleased to announce a $60,000 grant award from the S. Mark Taper Foundation.
This grant funding provides vital general operating support for nutrition, housing, and a continuum of health and supportive services for at-risk, low-income, and homeless seniors.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all of our congregate dining services at 15 locations, Serving Seniors transitioned our meal services overnight to home delivered meals, thereby increasing the number of home delivered meals from an average of 1,600 to 5,500 a week. We continue to respond to the pandemic by adapting and altering our existing services and developing responsive programming to ensure our clients' health and safety,” says Paul Downey, President & CEO of Serving Seniors.
“We are grateful to the S. Mark Taper Foundation for this generous award for it allows Serving Seniors to be nimble to meet the evolving needs of our vulnerable seniors as we approach almost 12 months of living with the pandemic,” Mr. Downey added.
Mr. Downey further adds, “Food insecurity, housing, and senior isolation continue to be significant issues among the growing senior population. With the CDC declaring seniors at highest risk of severe consequences from the pandemic, Serving Seniors’ mission is more critical than ever, and we’re incredibly grateful for this opportunity to serve even more seniors in need through the Foundation’s support.”
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020, Serving Seniors has been recognized for its innovative approach to comprehensive services and programs. Its nutrition programs have been praised by the American Society on Aging, the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Service Programs, Leading Age and the California Commission on Aging as a model for reducing hunger, decreasing the incidence of premature institutionalization, and improving the physical and mental well-being of impoverished seniors.
For more information about Serving Seniors, or to see a full list of programs and services provided, please visit www.ServingSeniors.org. Follow Serving Seniors on Facebook @ServingSeniorsSD, Instagram @servingseniorssd and Twitter @ServingSeniors.
About S. Mark Taper Foundation
The S. Mark Taper Foundation, founded in 1989, is a private family foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of people’s lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in our communities.
About Serving Seniors
Founded in 1970, Serving Seniors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Diego, California, dedicated to serving low-income adults aged 60 and over. A leader in senior advocacy and programming, Serving Seniors has created an innovative model of comprehensive services including nutritional meals, housing, health and social services and lifelong learning opportunities to hundreds of seniors in need. It is the largest provider of meals to seniors in San Diego County, and one of the only organizations in the nation providing such a robust range of services to vulnerable, at-risk older adults.
Serving Seniors President and CEO Paul Downey has been instrumental in the organization’s growth over the past 25+ years. Since being appointed the role in 1995, Downey has guided the nonprofit’s innovative efforts to provide supportive services focused on keeping low-income seniors healthy and independent.
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