Senior citizens in need may not be aware that there are good friends and advocates in the senior-provider network of professionals looking out for them throughout the year.
The Kendall County Senior Providers (KCSP) have been networking together for more than 10 years to improve the lives of seniors. Established in 2010, KCSP is an initiative of the Northeastern Illinois Agency on Aging, now known as AgeGuide. The KCSP mission is to connect service providers who engage with the aging population in order to strengthen referral and access to services. Sandy Pastore, consultant and president at Mindful Innovations Consulting, is one of the founding members of KCSP. She said, “KCSP was developed to address the holistic and diverse needs of area seniors and their families,” and added that founding members modeled KCSP after a similar Kane County Senior Provider group.
Providers meet together every month, sometimes hearing education presentations highlighting services provided by member agencies, or addressing specific concerns of seniors. They spend time for announcements and networking. The members of KCSP say there is a real value in sharing information with each other and in working to create better awareness of senior issues through outreach to the community.
“The mission of the KCSP is to educate ourselves and others, to support seniors, and to enhance opportunities for seniors within our community,” said Gena M. Cimaroli, elder care coordinator at Legacy Law Firm, LLC and KCSP president & secretary. “KCSP’s greater goals are to include inter-generational, inclusive, goal-oriented, network opportunities, to serve the community, to meet senior needs, to foster community relationships, and to cherish our seniors and neighbors. This is our KCSP purpose, as stated in the bylaws,” Cimaroli said.
KCSP actively has supported, organized, and participated in community events that promote senior services in the area for almost 10 years. Of utmost importance to the members of this group is to increase their visibility in the community. Members know there is a need for a greater awareness of the various non-profit organizations and businesses that serve the senior population. Every day there are new seniors, caregivers, and family members who find themselves in need of services, but who are very unaware of services available to them and to their family members.
Some activities they have participated in include assisting Kendall County TRIAD (a community policing initiative bringing together law enforcement professionals, seniors, and senior providers to reduce criminal victimization of the elderly) at the annual TRIAD Summer picnic, attending the expo at the Kendall County Fair, and participating in local health fairs, and various Community Expo’s throughout the year.
This year is the second that the group has chosen to do a volunteer service project for a local charity. In 2019, KCSP volunteered an afternoon at the Kendall County Community Food Pantry. In this calendar year, they plan to choose and serve at two charities, in order to bring greater awareness of their group to the public at large.
In addition, they organize progressive tours for KCSP members and senior citizens at senior housing complexes and community senior centers. They communicate with State and Federal elected officials to keep them aware of the needs of seniors and to help advocate for meaningful policies, legislation, and better opportunities for seniors to age well in the community.
Members include professionals representing, or providing service, to seniors and their loved ones within Kendall County, which includes housing (assisted living, nursing home, or independent services), rehabilitation, home care services, hospice, legal/financial, medical, outreach services, care/case management, and medical/mental health services. “Any entity providing service to seniors within Kendall County is invited to join KCSP,” Cimaroli said.
“We all benefit from getting to know each other, and from learning about the services offered. At our monthly meetings, we alternate between having formal presentations to discussing issues affecting seniors in our care. Our members work collaboratively to offer suggestions regarding any ongoing unmet needs of seniors that any member is facing,” Cimaroli said. “We also have an annual vote for a not-for-profit member to receive a $500 grant, known as the Sandra Lambert Memorial Scholarship. The 2019 recipient of this grant was the Association for Individuals with Disabilities (AID).”
For more information about KCSP and its special initiatives, contact Gena M. Cimaroli, president of KCSP, at 815.570.2334, or gena@legacylawil.com.
Barb Nadeau is the community relations manager for the Voluntary Action Center of DeKalb County. Barb has worked in television, radio, and print media, as well as in volunteer coordination and networking amongst non-profit social service agencies. She is a freelance writer and television host. Contact Barb at bvnadeau@gmail.com.