Funds will support multiple Council on Aging priorities for seniors throughout Central Oregon

Bend, Ore., December 21, 2020 – The Council on Aging of Central Oregon today announced that it has just received multiple grants from the St. Charles Foundation to support key programs assisting older adults throughout Central Oregon. Ranging from support for buying food to funds to help create a safer space for older adults, the grants will enable the Council on Aging to provide vital services for older adults during COVID and for years to come.

“During this pandemic, which is challenging for all but especially for older people, the Council on Aging has increased its programming to help keep older adults safe and at home,” said Susan Rotella, Executive Director for the Council on Aging of Central Oregon. “The generosity of the St. Charles Foundation will help us continue to provide more meals to more seniors throughout the upcoming winter.”

Funds generously provided by St. Charles will support the Council on Aging’s nutrition programs for older adults, including Meals on Wheels and the Grab-N-Go Drive-Thru meals it provides in four local cities. These programs have provided almost 13,000 meals each month to older adults throughout the region during the pandemic crisis. The St. Charles Foundation is also assisting the Council on Aging to provide holiday gifts for its clients via the St. Charles Sponsorship program. In lieu of a traditional holiday gathering for seniors this winter, these gifts will provide a small token of holiday spirit. And, the local health system has also granted funding to help with the building renovations at the Council on Aging’s new site at 1036 NE Fifth Street. This new center will allow the Council on Aging to directly serve older adults in a facility devoted to their wellbeing, once the danger from COVID passes.

“We are happy to support the work of the Council on Aging because we know the importance of the services provided by the Council on Aging to the older adults in our region,” said Carlos Salcedo, of the St. Charles Foundation. “We are all working together to help keep older people safe and well.”

The Council on Aging provides Meals on Wheels, drive-through lunches, information and referral, and caregiver support throughout Central Oregon. To find out more, contact the Council on Aging of Central Oregon at (541) 678-5483 or councilonaging.org.

About the Council on Aging of Central Oregon
Since 1975, the Council on Aging has served as the designated Area Agency on Aging for Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties, offering adults aged 60 and older and their loved ones a range of support services. A nonprofit organization, the Council on Aging advocates for, empowers and guides older adults and their loved ones to live with independence and well-being in age-friendly communities — places where infrastructure, policies and practices are developed to make the community livable, accessible and responsive to the needs of people of all ages, especially older adults.

Phone: (541) 678-5483
Website: www.councilonaging.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CouncilOnAgingOfCentralOregon

About St. Charles Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of St. Charles Health System, the Foundation works to support and improve health care in Central and Eastern Oregon. Private donations raised by the Foundation allow St. Charles to build new medical facilities, purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment, keep pace with the latest technological advances and deliver exceptional patient care in a healing environment. The Foundation does more than just raise money for bricks and mortar. The organization also raises money to support many programs that benefit low-income and uninsured patients.
Website: https://foundation.stcharleshealthcare.org/

Media Contact
Denise LaBuda
Director of Brand Strategy and Communications
Council on Aging of Central Oregon
(541) 678-5483
dlabuda@councilonaging.org