Just over seven months ago, the Moose Jaw & District Seniors Association and the Cosmo Seniors Centre stood in front of city council and made a request for funding to keep their organizations in operation.
That particular city council meeting saw a full house, with Moose Jaw residents filling the gallery until there was nothing but standing room, in order to support the two organizations’ pitch to council.
“It shows that there are people that are really concerned,” said Seniors Association president Vicki Wadsworth.
Despite council’s repeated suggestion that the two separate senior’s organizations could amalgamate into one to potentially eliminate some financial strain, the restructuring process never began.
Instead, city council has agreed to provide a $15,000 municipal grant to the Cosmo Centre and a $35,000 municipal grant to the Seniors Association for 2020.
This will be in addition to the $25,000 the city provided to the Seniors Association in the fall as a “stop-gap” to help the group reach the end of 2019 without incident.
“It's going to make a huge difference in what we do,” said Wadsworth, a sentiment echoed by Cosmo Centre president Bill Smith when asked. “I thought it was pretty generous of the city and it shows that they really are concerned for the seniors in Moose Jaw.”
During the pitch to council, the Seniors Association estimated they would need an additional $50,000 to $60,000 each year to cover their operating costs without emptying their diminishing reserves.
The Cosmo Centre suggested they would need an additional $10,000 to supplement their income, although Smith says the Cosmo Centre’s situation wasn’t as dire as their counterpart.
“[People] still ask when we're closing, but we don't plan on closing. Our finances aren't actually so bad that we would have to close,” said Smith.
The Moose Jaw & District Seniors Association is now in the process of hammering out the details of the grant agreement offered, waiting on the City of Moose Jaw.
“There are some conditions attached but we're not sure what those are yet,” said Wadsworth. “Basically, that's where it does stand right now — we're just waiting for the city to get back to us with a time that we can meet with them and get the ball rolling.”
In the meantime, both organizations continue to operate with all of their regular programming.
The Cosmo Centre is still hosting monthly dances, card tournaments, and their various suppers, while the Moose Jaw & District Seniors is continuing their regular programming and adding a few more things to their plate.
Timothy Eatons Cafe is undergoing a menu restructure with a new kitchen manager, and Wadsworth is hoping to see more members out for the new mahjong games, tai chi sessions, and even a women’s pool league.
“We really appreciate the community's support and there are a few ways that they could continue to help us,” said Wadsworth.
Corporate sponsorship and individual donations are always appreciated by both organizations, as is participating in any of their annual or ongoing fundraisers.
Both organizations also expressed the need for an increase in membership and participation, with the Cosmo Centre tallying over 150 members in 2019 and the Seniors Association with almost 350 members.
“We just need more people to take part in these events and we wouldn't have problems at all,” said Smith.
The financial call-to-arms prompted an influx of support for the seniors groups, and both Smith and Wadsworth hope to see the community’s continued interest in their services.
“Sometimes we feel like we're kind of forgotten and overlooked, so when people come forward and they're actually interested in what's happening and what our future is, we really appreciate the interest,” said Wadsworth.
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