It was a group of compassionate individuals that recognized the importance of caring for the elderly in Northern Kentucky.  This handful of concerned citizens and community leaders founded Senior Citizens of Northern Kentucky in December 1962.  With visionary leadership, they recognized that the foundation of our community, Northern Kentucky’s elderly, were being forgotten and their needs were not being met.  This group included members of Trinity Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Covington and members of Mother of God Church. They founded the first senior center in the state of Kentucky and this agency began its journey to serve older adults in December.  Celebrating 40-years of service, Senior Services of Northern Kentucky is dedicated to supporting the independence and dignity of older adults.

GROWTH AND VISIBILITY

 In 1967 the senior center attracted 415 seniors, up from the original 10 participants.  After the program was enlarged into a Title III project under the Older Americans Act, more centers were added to the list of services and we began an Outreach Program.  This program became an extremely valuable and needed service.  Outreach workers would venture out into the community and seek out older adults in need of assistance.  Word was spreading throughout the community and this agency was continuing to put its finger on the pulse of the needs of the growing senior market.

 HEALTH AND NUTRITION

 In 1972, our Meals on Wheels program was established.  Volunteers were recruited to help extend our reach into the community.  Because the senior centers were more than a place to socialize and participate in health programs, the agency began serving noontime meals that would meet one-third of the senior’s daily nutritional requirements.  The senior centers became a place of health and wellness with emotional and physical health needs being met.

A Place to Call Home

Although Senior Services is best known for its signature project, Meals on Wheels, the agency continued to grow  because of the steady growth in the senior population as well as their outpour of required assistance.  Senior Citizens  of Northern Kentucky changed its name to Senior Services of Northern Kentucky to better depict the agency and its many programs.  To better serve the community, the agency moved into new headquarters to our current location at 1032 Madison Avenue in 1993.  Today all meals for our Meals on Wheels and Congregate Meal Program are prepared in this building. This centralized agency headquarters houses staff overseeing all aspects of our operation.

Looking Towards the Furture

The baby-boomer generation will begin impacting social service and health agencies in the year 2010.  The statistics are sobering.  The number of senior citizens will double in the next twenty years and are expected to triple in the next 50 years. Compounding on the increase in older adults that will require help and assistance is the lack of resources provided by the state and federal government.  In Northern Kentucky, federal and state funding has not increased over the past 12 years. The leadership team comprised of Board of Trustees, staff and outside resources is projecting  how we will serve the surge in older adults.  Without a doubt, the revenue stream needs to increase to meet the needs of today’s seniors and for those of us that will need assistance in the near future.

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