We’ve done our best to get the word out that this is a renewal levy, which means it will not raise taxes.
How much will it cost you? Only $3.16 per month per $100,000 pf property value. Let me provide a real life example. According to the County Auditor’s office the average home in Clermont County is valued at about $150,000. This translates to only $4.73 per month for the Senior Services Levy.
And what does the owner of a $150,000 home get for his or her $4.73? Let’s take a look at some of the service numbers for the past five years. We provided over 500,000 meals-on-wheels, over 250,000 rides to doctor appointments and other trips, over 450,000 hours of personal care and housekeeping assistance, over 250,000 hours of care for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other disabilities at the adult day care center, plus thousands of hours of home repair, adult protective services, senior center programs, and other services. With everybody giving just a little, we really can do a lot.
The numbers are important, but the real story is about how these services are making a difference in the lives of the 5,000 older adults we serve each year.
Here are just a few examples, with names and circumstances modified to protect privacy.
Betty is diabetic and suffers from congestive heart failure. She has to visit the dialysis clinic three times each week for treatment. Betty needs these treatments to live, but has no family members who can take her to the dialysis clinic. Each morning a Senior Services driver arrives at Betty’s home before dawn to take her to the clinic for treatment, and then return her safely back home.
Margie is in her 80’s and has cancer. She has family close by who check on her and provide some care, but they work and cannot take off to prepare meals and take Margie to the doctor, Clermont Senior Services helps Margie enjoy her later years at home by providing meals-on-wheels and taking her to medical appointments.
Ralph and his wife Mary still live in the modest home they moved into over 40 years ago, Ralph had a stroke and needed a wheelchair ramp to be able to leave their home. Clermont Senior Services arranged for volunteers to build a ramp and helped cover the cost of materials.
There are many stories that could be told, and all have one thing in common – the joy of being able to continue living at home instead of having to move to a nursing home. I hope you have not needed to call Clermont Senior Services for help, but if you ever do need to we want to be here for you.
Your vote for the Senior Services Levy next Tuesday will help make this possible, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that, for just pennies per day, you are helping make a meaningful difference in the lives of others in need.
George Brown is the executive director of Clermont Senior Services.