Eras Senior Network Inc.
Kathy
Gale
Executive Director
Mission
The mission of Eras Senior Network is to support and engage Milwaukee County and Waukesha County, Wisconsin seniors in leading meaningful lives. The agency is a product of a 2007 merger of two nonprofits - Interfaith Caregiving Network, started in 1991 and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, incorporated in 1981. The merged agency became Interfaith Senior Programs. We subsequently changed the agency name in 2017 to Eras Senior Network, reflecting the different "eras" or times of a senior's life and the network of support from congregations, schools, businesses, and community groups that support seniors through our mission.
In 2019 our agency began operating the former Neighborhood Outreach Program of Interfaith Older Adult Programs after a merger between Interfaith and another organization failed. The merged organization closed in February 2019 leaving approximately 3000 senior citizens without community support. At the request of funders, Eras began running the program in April 2019, doubling the size of our organization. Although the program became larger, our goals are the same - helping seniors who do not qualify for government entitlement programs but can't afford to purchase services to access healthcare, nutrition, safety, and socialization.
Category
Care for the Eldery
Additional Information
The Faith in Action services of Eras Senior Network help seniors in Milwaukee County and Waukesha County afford their
basic needs on a fixed income and continue to live independently in their home of choice. We provide these benefits by
offering basic needs services at no charge to our clients. Services are performed by screened and trained community
volunteers and include transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores, seasonal yard clean up, weekly
friendly phone calls, and minor home repairs. During 2020 a total of 1,954 Milwaukee County seniors received supportive
services and another 1,812 seniors received information and newsletters. In Waukesha County, 680 clients were served
with supportive services and an additional 248 seniors received information and newsletters.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Waukesha County engages 360 volunteers age 55+ in meaningful volunteer service activities including in-school tutoring and pen pal programs in Waukesha County schools. RSVP Milwaukee County is a new program for Eras, started in April 2020. In Milwaukee County we aim to recruit 250 RSVP volunteers to help other Milwaukee County older adults with basic needs services and through a volunteer Medicare counseling program.
The S.T.O.P. Senior Frauds and Scams program engages law enforcement and legal professionals to give presentations with trained senior ambassadors to groups of seniors and caregivers. The content of programs changes to reflect the frauds and scams that are currently aimed at older adults, including selling Covid-19 "cures" over the phone, or pretending to be a family member needing money. Since its inception in 2016 the program has reached 2,000 older adults and caregivers through 70 presentations.
