Megan Poindexter, Executive Director of Senior Resource Center of Douglas County (SRC), is excited about the renovation project underway at 745 Vermont Street, a building that the Center has shared with Fire Station #1 since 1979. She expects the changes to be completed in the next few weeks after a two-and-a-half-year wait. The agency plans a “Big Reveal” homecoming fundraiser on September 14 with a ribbon cutting and EXPO scheduled soon afterward.
SCR, a rebranding of the former Douglas County Senior Services, provides both tangible and intangible services to county residents. Typically, Poindexter explains, a person will call SCR with a particular problem or question. A consultant on staff works with each caller to identify the multiple layers of need and recommend information and referrals that will help.
Tangible services delivered through SRC include the Energy Utility Fund and coaching about Medicare and Medicare Supplement enrollment. Although transportation services are a major expense for the agency, the vehicles and drivers that SCR manages are vital to those who are unable to get to medical and other appointments without such support.
Since social interaction is key to well-being for seniors, the Center provides a number of activities for people in that age group. Events, classes, and groups will meet regularly in the new space once the move back to Vermont Street is completed. Those opportunities take place in partnership with Osher Lifelong Learning, Lawrence Parks and Recreation, the Lawrence Arts Center, and Just Foods, among others.
Sixty-five percent of SRC funding comes from Douglas County grants. State money, private donors, and fees also support the agency.
