St. Barnabas Senior Services: 

Onward and Upward! 

Dear Friends, 

 

I want to provide a brief update on St. Barnabas Senior Services after the close of our fiscal year. With your partnership and support, we have been able to provide outstanding care for older adults in Los Angeles, and we’ve made substantial progress toward reaching our goals for growth and expansion as a leader and innovator in the field of aging.  Key accomplishments this past fiscal year are as follows: 

• Stepped forward to meet the growing needs of older adults, with a  26% increase in the number of older adults that we served;
• Maintained all core programs and services,  recording significant increases in almost every program area;

• Grew program offerings, including the addition of three evidence-based programs;

• Participated with Partners in Care Foundation on the Exergamers Wellness Club Program, under the leadership of Laura Trejo at the Los Angeles Department of Aging.  Accordingly, the LADOA received the prestigious National Association of Area Agencies on Aging 2012 Aging Innovations Award;  

• Provided effective leadership to the Los Angeles Aging Advocacy Coalition, which demonstrated success in preserving programs, restoring eliminated services, releasing funds, and strengthening the aging network infrastructure;

• Provided continuing adult daycare services (amidst a challenging transition to the new Community Based Adult Services program),keeping vulnerable participants and their families from spiraling into an emergency, such as being institutionalized or requiring family caregivers to jeopardize their work situations;

• Received the following honors and awards:

• Jim Segal Award for Passion and Commitment to Adult Day Services: Luz Miryam Jance, SBSS Driver and Program Aide
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• National Council on Aging’s National Institute of Senior Centers Programs of Excellence Award:  Mobile Technology Lab
• L.A. County Commission for Older Adults Older Americans Recognition Day Award:  Aurora C. Albano, Senior Companion at SBSS Adult Day Services
• Los Angeles Department of Aging Recognition Award for leadership in the Exergamers Wellness Club Program:Andrés González, SBSS Special Projects Coordinator 

• Recorded a financial surplus, resulting from prudent fiscal management, strong program management, and exceptional fundraising;

• Won selection as interim contract manager of the Hollywood Senior Multipurpose Center.  The Assistance League of Southern California has managed this contract for nearly 25 years, but they relinquished it as part of a reorganization.  We welcome the opportunity to build upon their existing programs and services with our trademark innovative and collaborative approach to enhance the wellbeing of older adults in the community.  With this contract, we will double our geographic reach and increase the number of seniors served by 70%, totaling nearly 18,000.