The Portage Senior Center is operated by the Department of Senior Citizen Services, City of Portage. The city provides partial funding. Staff, Friends of the PSC and members raise more than 50 percent. The Center receives no federal funding nor county funds. Small grants from the Area Agency on Aging help support staffing, transportation, and health promotion. Additional funds are raised through membership fees, special fund raising events, trips, occasional grants, participant fees, donations and memorial gifts. All contributions are welcome and appreciated.

In 1995 an Endowment Fund was established with the Kalamazoo Foundation to ensure future funding of the Portage Senior Center. Please make checks out to the "Friends of the PSC Endowment." Call the Center at 269-329-4555 for important information regarding tax advantages you might receive by giving to a community endowment fund.

Make a Donation
You can sponsor an event or a scholarship for membership or a class for a low-income senior. Call the Center at 329-4555 to request a brochure about giving opportunities.  To make a monetary donation, click on the Friends of the PSC website link below, or see the description following the link for specific needs.

Friends of the PSC 

 
             2010 Celery City Showcase Photos


Special event sponsor
A. Celery City Showcase, Talent Competition-a community event for the entire family
B. Men's Day - Speaker and luncheon for 60 men. $500
C. Senior Health and Fitness Day - County wide celebration, sports events and information for seniors. Contribution covers publicity, signage, postage, and refreshments.  $500

Project Enhance
This project is coordinated from the Portage Senior Center, but serves seniors throughout Kalamazoo County through four senior centers. Contributions cover the cost of scholarships for low income seniors who participate in the Health Enhancement Program and/or the costs of training both senior volunteer peer health mentors and group facilitators for the six week workshop, "Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions."  Cost of providing the program in the county is over $50,000 per year.  Sponsorships can be made for as little as $10,000.

Intergenerational Programs
The Center works with Portage Central Elementary School and Angling Road Elementary School to bring young people and seniors together to learn from one another and to appreciate the gifts and talents of persons in the other generation. Some service projects are completed each year that benefit the greater community. Another intergenerational program includes projects involving Girl Scouts. The cost of training and supervision is covered by donations.  Sponsorships can be made for as little as $3,000.

Transportation
More and more Center participants are no longer able to drive themselves and have to rely on other means of transportation to the doctor, for grocery shopping and for coming to the Center. Although all riders make a donation, it is not possible for them to completely cover the cost. There is no public transportation operating within Portage City limits available for people coming to the Center or completing other errands. Donations offset costs of running the PSC mini-bus and/or the purchase of tickets for Care-A-Van for clients. Volunteer drivers help keep costs to a minimum.  Subsidize one senior for a year: $150  Provide All Service for 1 month $550.

Outreach to Homebound Elderly
The over 85 cohort of older adults is the fastest growing segment of the population. The Center operates an outreach program to members no longer able to attend the Center. One staff person is responsible for training volunteers to make home and hospital/nursing home visits and for keeping track of past members. Fall and spring leaf raking and yard clean-up are also offered through this program. Volunteers are recruited and assigned to help elders from all over the Community. Sponsor for as little as $5,000

Volunteer Appreciation/Annual Recognition Lunch or Dinner
Because of the number of volunteers attending, this event has to be held at a larger facility. Cost involves entertainment, small gifts, decorations and food costs.  There are about 250 regular volunteers who contribute over 16,000 hours per year. These volunteers are feted once a year with a dinner. Costs are for a small gift for each volunteer ($500), for the cost of the meal ($1,200), for printing of programs and invitations ($100) and for entertainment ($200).  Sponsor for $2,000.

Equipment Needs
Samsonite Stacking Chairs
Due to constant use and stacking from events and exercise classes, these chairs wear out after about 10 years of use. This year we need to replace 10 chairs at a cost of $75 each, $750