Senior centers cutting hours due to budget impasse

The ongoing budget impasse is once again affecting area senior centers.

In a recent news release, Paulette Hamlin, executive director of Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council, announced that the WEEOC's senior centers would be closing for one day a week beginning Feb. 1.

"These seniors served us, and now we are letting them down," Hamlin said in the release. "The political battle is being fought on the backs of seniors and those who care for them. Illinois must pass a budget rather than putting one together piece by piece."

Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council was forced to close the senior sites in Chester, Columbia, Red Bud and Waterloo for three weeks in August due to the impasse.

Since that time, the federal funds to operate these programs have been coming in and services were resumed. Hamlin said the problem is now is that the organization has not received any state funds since June.

State funds account for 40 percent of the grant revenue to fund the WEEOC's services. AgeSmart Community Resources, the primary agency serving seniors in the seven counties (Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair, Randolph and Washington) has been cut off from its normal resources by the impasse.

AgeSmart provides the pass through funding to WEEOC. The organization has notified Western Egyptian that effective January 31, it will no longer provide funding for the transportation services that are provided to seniors.

AgeSmart is also limiting home delivered meals to only four days per week.

Effective February 1, Western Egyptian senior sites will operate on the following schedule:

*Chester Senior Center will be closed on Mondays, but will be open for services on Tuesday through Friday.

*Columbia, Red Bud and Waterloo will be open Monday through Thursday, but will be closed on Fridays.

Interested persons who would like to donate toward the senior services are advised to send their donation to your local senior center:

*Chester Senior Center, 805 State Street, Chester, IL 62233 (618-826-5108)

*Columbia Senior Center, 208 S Rapp, Columbia, IL 62236 (618-281-7414)

*Red Bud Senior Center, 1445 W Market, Red Bud, IL 62278 (618-282-6333)

*Waterloo Senior Center, 207 W Fourth, Waterloo, IL 62298 (618-939-8880)

All donations received will be targeted to the particular site requested by the donor. Ninety-four percent of all funds received at Western Egyptian pay for direct client assistance.

Administrative costs are held to a low of 6 percent.