COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:

Each morning since my August 2000 appointment as executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior Center, I find myself fortunate to serve in a bright, vibrant place filled with the chatter, laughter and surprises of active seniors enjoying their golden years.

The center, one of Costa Mesa’s best treasures, is vital to our community. The nonprofit is governed by a caring and committed board of directors. We survive on corporate funding, grants and donations. But these days, funding sources are scarce.

The center offers many reasons for our community’s seniors to be a part of our family. New and wonderful friendships bloom here. There is lively conversation about the issue of the day, and it is a place to learn and be entertained.

The center nourishes more than just the spirit. Our members enjoy a hot meal at noon; if they’re homebound, we deliver meals to them. Four years ago, our nurse made us realize that many of our seniors were getting thin and malnourished. With the rising costs of prescriptions, gas, electrical and food, some were forced to choose between prescription or food.

The lunch box program is distributed twice a month to seniors earning less then $18,000 per year. Each senior receives two bags of canned and packaged goods, and assorted fresh fruits and vegetables. For some, it is 95% of the food they consume. This program sustains itself thanks to the Community Development Block Grant.

Since we were not able to get the full funding for this program, some very generous seniors have come forward to help make up the difference.

The city receives these funds from the federal government, and after submitting written requests, the city selects the nonprofits that will receive these funds. This year we were fortunate to receive money for our social worker, lunch box program and our nurse. The grant for the nurse was cut back drastically, and we are forced to reduce her hours by three days a month.

Many of our seniors do not go to doctors regularly. Our nurse helps them develop an individual health plan including screenings, assessments, nutrition counseling, overall health evaluation, home visits, case management, and referrals to resources within the center. These cost-effective services are provided free and assist in early diagnosis and treatment, reducing the burden of the community’s hospitals and emergency rooms.

If you poke around the center, and I encourage you to do so, you will witness a hive of activity. Our members socialize while playing bridge, bingo and pinochle. They participate in many of our health and wellness programs, from chair exercises, balance and mobility, Tai Chi to yoga, aerobics and jazzercise. We enrich their minds through classes on cooking, health issues, computers, financial management and even organizing a photo album.

As the director, I have the privilege of being at the center every day enjoying the senior stories of yesterday and looking forward to each day as a new adventure. I am not alone, as the center has a wonderful caring staff and board of directors. Please visit and get to know our residents, who have contributed much to our country and community. We are at 695 W 19th St., in Costa Mesa.

Byron de Arakal once said �We owe those folks.�

AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior Center.