What can $10 buy you these days? Perhaps lunch, or coffee for a couple of days, or maybe a few gallons of gas. It seems like an almost insignificant amount of money when measured against everyday living expenses.

But $10 goes a long way at the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center, which offers a wide array of services designed to help more than 30,000 local seniors maintain their independence, dignity and quality of life. So, it's not surprising why the center's annual campaign currently under way is named $10 Bucks to a Better Future.

"The most CRITICAL SERVICES the Senior Center offers are those that are behind the scenes."

To give you an idea of just how far they can stretch your dollars, the Senior Center breaks it down this way: $5 gets a senior to and from the center for a week; $10 buys a senior lunch for a week at the center; $15 provides a week's worth of home-delivered meals; $20 will cover one day of daycare and lunch; $50 will get a shower grab bar installed in a senior's home; $100 pays for a day of emergency personal care service.

Those are just a few examples of the services the Senior Center provides to local residents. Open seven days a week, it is a resource not only for older residents of the Santa Clarita Valley, but for their families as well. Those seniors who are active and mobile can kick up their heels in dance classes, brush up on their art skills, hone their computer skills, drop in for a low-cost lunch, and yes, play bingo.

The most critical services they offer, however, are those that are behind the scenes and handled through the Supportive Services Department, which allows older seniors to "age in place," or remain in their own home as long as is practically possible. "They do the most amazing things," says the Center's Karen Geller-Shinn of Supportive Services. "It's the heartbeat of the Senior Center."

Supportive Services offers assessment and care management to ensure those in need are matched with appropriate services and resources. That can include anything from home-delivered meals, to in-home visits by center staff or volunteers, to counseling. Supportive Services also offers respite programs, which give primary caregivers the chance to take a break from tending to a family member or loved one.

What's particularly impressive about the Senior Center is its status as a 501-c3 nonprofit organization, which means it is not a government-sponsored operation, as are many senior centers in other communities. It does receive some county funding, but is largely reliant on the generosity and goodwill of the community to maintain its level of service. "We have to have a lot of different ways to plug in the holes," explains Geller-Shinn when asked about the importance of the annual fund campaign.

More and more, the Senior Center is seeing greater demand for its services. Given the changing demographics of the country, that is to be expected. The population of those 65 and older in the United States has increased seven percent since 2000, and will grow by 15 percent by 2010. The center typically sees participation rates increase by double-digit figures each year. Current residents are growing older, but Geller-Shinn said many seniors are new to the community, having moved here to be closer to their extended families.

This growth in demand will continue, and is the reason why the Senior Center hopes to make the most of your $10.


To contribute to the $10 Bucks for a Better Future campaign, make a check out to SCVSC Annual Campaign and mail it to 22900 Market Street, Santa Clarita, 91321-3608, or call Maria Linares at the center at 661-259-9444.

Inside SCV Magazine will match donations received between January 15, 2007 and February 15, 2007 for a total not to exceed $2,000. Don't forget to put "Inside SCV Magazine" in the memo portion in order to qualify your donation for matching funds.

Website: www.scvseniorcenter.org