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player ready...The Oswegoland Senior and Community Center is seeking $66,000 in funding from the village of Oswego, roughly a 10% increase in what it currently receives, for operational support for the next fiscal year.
The center, which opened in the former Oswego Police Station in 2022, provides services for seniors in the Kendall County region through nutrition, exercise, education, health screenings and programs for socialization, officials with the facility say.
The center relies on funding from Oswego, Oswego Township and Kendall County as well as grants.
“We are a robust community center,” Oswegoland Senior and Community Center Executive Director Michele Bergeron told trustees recently.
The center’s participation rate has increased, she said.
“I am super-excited to report we have seen an increase in attendance over the last year. We are also doing it with less,” Bergeron said.
The center now operates with two full-time employees, down from three, and four part-time support staff members. The center monitors its budget to ensure it is being “fiscally responsible” with funds received from donors and sponsors, she said.
“We continue to grow even in this struggle with the economy,” Bergeron said. “Any help the village can give would be greatly appreciated. We do serve mostly village of Oswego residents.”
The center recently expanded services by offering grief support for older adults made possible through a Rotary Club grant, she said.
The center’s primary needs involve transportation, she said.
“We still have a lot of seniors stuck at home that are unable or uncomfortable using Uber or Lyft,” she said. “I would say transportation is a vital resource.”
The center has one bus. However, it is looking into the feasibility of getting a second bus, but to do so would require grant funding, center officials said.
The organization did secure $2.5 million in state grants for building improvements, Bergeron said.
The Oswegoland Senior and Community Center serves residents in Oswego and Kendall County as well as Montgomery, Aurora and Plainfield, officials with the center said.
The funding request for the center will be included for discussion at a village board budget workshop meeting, village officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.