FRANK MULHOLLAND - Daily Union Managing Editor
Shelbyville Daily Union
SHELBYVILLE, IL. —
The Shelby County Senior Center recently received some bad news. That agency was denied two different grants they had applied for. Those grants were denied due to tight financial restraints of the grantor. The good news is the Center will continue to operate but will have to put more emphasis on fundraising.
“We will remain open and we have a plan to make up the shortfall,” said Mary Beth Massey, executive director of the Senior Center. “Everything will be fine but we may have to be very frugal and hold a lot of fundraisers.”
One grant supported senior information services concerning Medicare Part D and the Circuit Breaker plan.
“The bottom line is East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging has discontinued funding to all senior centers,” said Massey . “Which means they will no longer fund us for senior information services.”
The information services were provided by Sandi Lowry of the East Central Illinois Agency on Aging. Lowry provided information on Medicare Part D and the Circuit Breaker plan.
However, seniors should not fret, Massey has made arrangements with Family Drug in Shelbyville to continue providing information on those important services for seniors.
“Denise Foor, patient advocate at Family Drug, will be keeping the same hours as Lowry was,” continued Massey. “Which means we will get the same service but at no cost to us or the seniors.”
Foor said there is quite a bit of information the senior needs to bring when talking about Medicare and Circuit Breaker.
“We have a sheet with all the information needed when deciding about these programs,” said Foor. “Seniors may stop in the Family Drug and we will give them this sheet or they can call the Senior Center and the women there can talk them through what to bring.”
Foor’s hours at the Senior Center will be 1-3:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Both Foor and Massey point out this information service is not just for Shelbyville residents but for all seniors in Shelby County.
