SENIOR CITIZENS OF TETON COUNTY INC

Programs

1. Nutrition: Seniors West of the Tetons offers congregate lunches five days a week in the Senior Community Center (SCC) and delivers five meals a week to homebound seniors. Attendance at congregate lunches has averaged 46, with some lunches attracting more than 70 and special event lunches attracting over 100. Congregate lunches are open to non-seniors, and we have been pleased to see city workers, librarians, business people and families with children joining our seniors for lunch. Our meal deliveries to homebound seniors serve several vital functions in our rural area. While delivering meals, our volunteer drivers check on the well-being of isolated seniors and provide a welcome social contact. Our home meals include a weekly bag of food basics provided by the Teton Valley Food Pantry. Both the congregate and the home-delivery programs are supported by donations and by the Eastern Idaho Community Action Project. Our chef/kitchen manager not only prepares excellent meals that keep bringing people back, he also has instituted sound management practices for food ordering, menu development and food storage and handling. Most importantly, he and our other staff members devote a great…

   $201,582 spent$149,637 earned by the program
   47% of program spending

2. Wellness: Ten hours of fitness programing, including Tai Chi (2 hours), Yoga (2 hours), and Fit and Fall Proof (4 hours) and drumming for exercise (2 hours) are offered each week. In addition, we host clinics for blood pressure monitoring, vaccinations, and health screenings. Medical professionals visit regularly to discuss issues like mental health, diabetes prevention and management, nutrition, and heart health. All wellness programs are offered free of charge, though some volunteer instructors accept small donations. Fit and Fall Proof is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Public Health, which offers training and material support to volunteer instructors recruited by Seniors West of the Tetons. Since all these programs are offered by volunteers, the only cost to SWOT is an estimated facility fee for utilities, equipment, storage and other costs.

   $30,023 spent
   7% of program spending

3. Diverse Programming: Since the end of the Covid closure, our program offerings have really taken off, far exceeding the offerings prior to Covid. Regular recreational and social activities (bridge, mah jong, coffee klatsch, bingo), club meetings and craft workshops take place almost every day in the center or other facilities through partnerships with other non-profits and businesses. There are educational forums and entertainments, like the popular Pizza and a Movie series, several afternoons a week and the center hosts many community events in the evenings. Along with the daily fitness classes and lunch, all this programming makes SWOT a lively organization. Much of this development in programming is related to changes we have made in our facility and staffing. We have added upgraded or remodeled our facilities to accommodate a wide variety of events and programs, which supports our conception of the center as a genuine community center rather than just a dining room. This programming is facilitated by a full-time volunteer and events director, as well as by our executive director. Our programming now extends well beyond the center. Our 15-passenger van enables us to offer field…

   $107,224 spent
   25% of program spending

4. Advocacy, Communication and Outreach: Seniors West of the Tetons partners with our regional Area Agency on Aging to ensure services are available to keep seniors in their homes. We provide assistance with Medicare and other health insurance, federal and state taxes, access to health care, and general referrals to other services. This advocacy is channeled through our monthly print newsletter, which is mailed to over 550 seniors and community members, and regular online news updates. Our website and social media keep seniors informed about community happenings, senior center events and issues of concern to seniors, like Medicare enrollment and health care services. Our administrative data system, My Senior Center, allows us to make frequent and targeted contacts with seniors, to track their participation in activities and events, and to link them directly with services and programs of interest. Our volunteers constitute another crucial component in our advocacy and communication strategy. Whether it is at a meal delivery, fitness class or event, it is likely that a volunteer will be the point of contact between the organization and the client and will be the one to relay concerns…

   $64,335 spent
   15% of program spending

5. Hosting. In recent years, SWOT has been able to attract programming and services from other agencies, organizations and individuals through a policy of offering its facilities and programming assistance at a reduced rate to operations that engage or benefit seniors. The large dining room can be configured to seat 90 for a multimedia presentation and the tables can be moved to accommodate many different types of events and activities. Local non-profits often rent the facility for their conferences and events. These arrangements have proven mutually beneficial. The renting organization gets a highly functional space at an affordable rate and SWOT is able to offer in-house programming that would be otherwise beyond its means. SWOT's hosting extends to professional services for seniors, including Teton Valley VITA, a free tax preparation service, and Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA), which offers assistance with Medicare enrollments and claims. Having these services available in a familiar, face-to-face setting is a tremendous benefit to Teton Valley seniors, especially considering how limited and expensive equivalent professional services are in our area. Finally, we…

   $25,734 spent
   6% of program spending

The 5 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $428,898.