Director's Message

DIRECTORS MESSAGE

September 2004

 

The Princeton Senior Resource Center would like to welcome you to another exciting season of programs, activities and services. The staff has worked hard through the summer to bring new ideas and classes to the Suzanne Patterson Building. Please read about them on the next page.

 

You may have already noticed a new look to this bulletin. We hope that a new name will help us reach out to a wider audience, and we are trying to enter the digital age with more illustrations while keeping an informative and accessible format. We welcome your feedback.

 

Speaking of feedback, we are hosting our annual Participant Forum on Friday September 10 at 10:30 am. Join us for a cup of tea/coffee and share your appreciation for things we have done well this year and suggestions for the coming year. 

 

This year we are celebrating 30 years since the inception of the Princeton Senior Resource Center, and 10 years since we began programming at the Suzanne Patterson Building. We have grown and programs and staff have changed during the years, but our commitment to serving the older adults throughout our community remains constant. 

 

For those who do not know the history of PSRC, it began with a grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs to provide programs for older residents in HABOP public housing. PSRC became a private non-profit organization in 1979 and was one of the first senior centers in the U.S. to be accredited in 1998. In 1994, all senior services in Princeton were united and we became responsible for programs at the Suzanne Patterson Building to serve the entire community. 

 

At present, about 30% of our funding comes from the municipalities. Another 20% comes from grants from the United Way and foundations for specific programs. Nearly 40% is given by individual donors, many of whom have been helped by our social service staff or participated in our programs, and about 5% is collected in participant fees. We recently received word from HABOP that they were reducing our funding for tenant services by almost half, and we are seeking ways to replace this funding to continue these valuable services. 

 

As we look ahead into our next decade, we are committed to our mission of “offering affordable opportunities for support and engagement to older adults, their families and caregivers. Programs, services and volunteer activities are designed to empower individuals in the Princeton area to age in place with dignity.” Our vision is “to be viewed as the primary resource for all seniors in the wider Princeton community and to their caregivers, providing information, referrals, counseling and advocacy for issues related to all stages in the aging process. The Center will be a dynamic place where seniors will gather and participate in activities that promote healthy aging including socializing, exercise, seminars and classes, volunteering and recreation. PSRC will collaborate with participants and other community organizations to address needs and current concerns of older adults and their families.” (From the Strategic Plan 2003). Please join us!

 

Susan W. Hoskins LCSW

Executive Director

 

DO YOU PLAN TO VOTE IN THE NATIONAL ELECTION?

 

PSRC has information on how to register to vote if you are not registered locally, and information on how to obtain an absentee ballot. You must register by October 1 and your request for an absentee ballot must be received at least a week before the election. More information is available at 1-800-792-VOTE.

 

We are also interested in finding out if you need transportation to the polls or are willing to drive others. Please call PSRC so that we can assist those who need rides in connecting with volunteer drivers. We ask that you be able to get in and out of the car without assistance.

 

NEW JERSEY FREEZE

 

NEW JERSEY SAVER

The deadline for filing the 2003 NJ SAVER rebate 

application has been extended from August 16 to October 1, 2004.

Any New Jersey resident who owned a home as their principal residence 

on October 1, 2003, and paid property taxes on that home should be sure 

to file the NJ SAVER rebate application, even if they received a 

homestead rebate check. By filing both, the homeowner ensures that they are 

receiving the maximum benefit for which they are eligible. Homeowners 

who haven't filed their NJ SAVER rebate application yet can do so by 

calling 1-877-658-2972.