Senior Meals and Services, Inc. (SMS),
is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization providing nutrition and support
services designed to meet the needs of persons 60 years of age and
older. SMS currently serves senior citizens in the communities of
Garden Grove, Westminster, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Midway
City, Cypress, Stanton, Costa Mesa, and La Palma. The agency's
mission is to improve the quality of life for senior citizens in the
communities we serve by providing high quality programs directed at
meeting their nutritional needs and assisting them in maintaining their
independence. Major programs offered by SMS to senior citizens
include: Congregate Dining Centers, Home-Delivered Meals, In-Home
Services, Nutrition Education, Friendly Visiting, Shared Housing, and
Case Management. Emphasis is placed on meeting the needs of
seniors in a personal and comprehensive fashion by providing basic
services in order to assist older persons in maintaining an independent
lifestyle with dignity in their community for as long as
possible. We find that our programs often also provide respite
for the family members of our clients in their role as caregivers.
In the more than 27 years that Senior
Meals and Services has been providing services, over 15,000
unduplicated clients have been served, and there has not been a day
when meals and other critical services have not been available for
elderly clients in need. SMS is very fortunate to have remarkable
community and volunteer support. Over 500 volunteers donate in
excess of 18,000 hours each year. Many donors support our program by
supplying pro-bono hours, food items, in-kind donations, and other
needed materials. Each of the cities we serve assigns staff time
to help with the daily meal service at the sites.
SMS receives funds from foundations,
local community organizations, City, State, and Federal agencies, as
well as donations from senior participants and their families.
Maintaining and expanding our existing
volunteer base to meet an escalating senior population is our greatest
challenge. In addition to our Home Delivered and Congregate Meal
Programs, the need for our Friendly Visitor Program is growing rapidly
as well. In this Program volunteers make regular weekly visits to
a senior who they have been matched with to bring companionship.
This results in reducing loneliness and isolation for many elderly in
our community.
