Questions surround senior services, new leadership underway

Gadsden Commissioners recently voted to allow the county to partner with a newly formed foundation to provide services for senior citizens.

In the past 30 years, the Simon L. Scott Senior Center has been operated by a nonprofit organization, not the county, the last and current nonprofit being Gadsden Senior Services.

Gadsden Senior Services operates under the oversight of Advantage Aging Solutions and receives its grants from the Department of Elderly Affairs.

Gadsden Senior Services currently operates the congregate meal senior sites in Quincy and Chattahoochee.

In May, Advantage Aging Solutions informed Gadsden Senior Services Inc. that their funding was being pulled and they must reapply during the upcoming request for proposals process for 2023.

In October, both Gadsden Senior Services and the board agreed to work together for the return of the program.

Gadsden Senior Services’ board voted unanimously to transition its entire operation to a newly formed non-profit, the Gadsden County Senior Foundation last month.

Advantage Aging Solution redistributed $245,000 of Gadsden Senior Services’ funding for congregate meals to Gadsden Wellness, a nonprofit organization.

Gadsden Wellness which was originally registered with the state by former county commissioner Sherrie Taylor in 1994 under the name, Children Are Our Future.

The name of the organization was changed to Gadsden Wellness last year.

Advantage Aging Solutions also redistributed $557,000 to Elder Care of Tallahassee for home health services.

According to the agenda, the Gadsden County Senior Foundation is an independent, private nonprofit that was set to be created on November 2 – the day after the board voted on the matter.

However, as of Tuesday, November 8, Gadsden County Senior Foundation was still not registered with the State of Florida as a legal nonprofit.

Over the past three years, Gadsden Senior Services has had five executive directors.

Most recently, three key positions - executive director, fiscal manager, and fiscal assistant – were abandoned,

The organization also laid-off 13 employees in September because of reduction in services and loss of the home health contract.

During the 2020-21 fiscal year, county commissioners created a coordinator of elderly affairs position, which is currently filled by Pamela Washington.

At the request of Gadsden Senior Services, and the agreement of the Board of County Commissioners, the elderly affairs coordinator was assigned to help facilitate the operations of the center.

The fiscal director and fiscal assistant positions have been filled by Ruby Smith-Ellison and Rutha Black, respectively.

The county’s director of elderly affairs position LaToya Fryson will also serve as an unpaid executive director for the foundation.

Additionally, Dixon said a coordinator’s position will need to be created for the foundation, to run the facility and seek funding from other sources.

Gadsden Senior Services was given an American Rescue Plan grant for $32,000 by the Office of Area Aging to help fund the meal program through December 31.

County Administrator Ed Dixon said Gadsden Senior Services recently completed its final billing of $56,000.00 to Advantage Aging Solutions and has a little more than $120,000.00 to continue to operate the meal sites and home health services for the next few months.

“We are initially applying for the congregate meal package as we know it; that is what’s on the table right now,” Dixon explained.

Information provided in the agenda said the final phase of Gadsden Senior Services is ready to transition all assets and operational documents and services to the Gadsden County Senior Foundation but that isn’t what the board was voting on that night.

Commissioner Eric Hinson asked what the difference between Gadsden Senior Services and Gadsden Seniors Foundation was, but his question was never answered.

Attorney Clayton Knowles said from his understanding it was the same organization under a different name.

Commissioner Brenda Holt stated that it was not - but did not offer further clarification.

Hinson said he received calls from several citizens wanting to know the reason for the change.

The board voted 3-1 to allow the county to partner with the newly formed “Gadsden Seniors Foundation” and directed the administrator to respond to the request for proposals once issued by the Office of Area Aging.

The board also approved the creation of a coordinator position in elder affairs and services.

As of press deadline on Tuesday, the county had not clarified who formed the foundation.

This is an ongoing story and The Gadsden County Times will continue to report.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Questions surround senior services, new leadership underway

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