Resetting the odometer for 2016

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If you asked me last week how many hot, nutritious meals SourcePoint had delivered in 2015 throughout Delaware County year-to-date, I’d have proudly answered: 181,539.

But don’t ask me today about our year-to-date total, because now, of course, we’ve rolled back the odometer for the new year. And it’s not nearly as exciting to tell you that year-to-date, we’ve served basically zero.

Last week I would have enjoyed telling you about 2,007 in-home care consultations performed by our licensed, professional aging experts. And I’d have boasted a little about how our Medicare gurus saved more than $141,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for 904 local folks who really needed that money for groceries and other living expenses.

Plus, I’d have shared with you that more than 1,000 county residents received support, training and referrals from our caregiver specialist to help them cope with the challenges of caring for an older loved one at home.

And finally, if you were still willing to listen, I’d have pointed out that people age 55 and over became energized, invigorated and informed almost 45,000 times through our enrichment center’s programs and activities last year.

But now, because of New Year’s, all those year-to-date service numbers we’ve worked so hard to achieve are – well, you guessed it, zeroes.

Resetting the odometer is really a let-down. It makes it look like you’ve gotten nowhere. Like everything in life, it’s more satisfying to reflect backward at the well-traveled road behind than to look forward from the bottom of a steep hill that needs to be climbed. And yet, as we all must do, we’re tuning things up and getting ready for another great year ahead. The beauty of this journey, though, is that we’re all at the wheel together.

When I tell you that “we’ve” performed all these impressive achievements during the past year, I don’t mean just us – I mean you! You make all of this possible. Your support of our local property tax levy means that the funding is available to provide most of the services touted above. In-home visits by our care experts, the unbiased advice of our Medicare specialists, the caregiver support we offer – all of that is available free of charge to those in need because of your tax support.

And our other important services, like our wellness programs and social activities, which keep people healthy and prevent the isolation so common as we age – your tax dollars help support that, too. And what we can’t offer free of charge with tax dollars alone is supplemented by modest fees, your private donations and those of the local businesses who sponsor our events and services. It’s also supported by your many, many volunteer hours.

Speaking of volunteers, those who serve on our board of directors are preparing to take the wheel, to steer us through another year of service and around blind curves we haven’t yet encountered, driven by our new board president, David Black. And our staff is fueled up and ready to go!

But before we really start the new year, it only seems appropriate to thank you, our community, for caring enough to make all of last year’s accomplishments possible. Your financial support, your gifts and donations, your corporate support, your volunteerism – you drive it all. We are simply the vehicle.

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SOURCEPOINT

Bob Horrocks

Contributing columnist

Bob Horrocks is executive director of SourcePoint.

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