COLONIE— The Beltrone Living Center hosted a care giving celebration during which the Colonie Senior Services Center announced the organization had received a $25,000 grant for Bright Horizons, daytime care programs for seniors.
“We are always looking for new resources and programs to help the families in Bright Horizons. Many of the caregivers and families stretched thin when the responsibilities of caregiving are added on,” Ed Neary, executive director of CSSC, said at the celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 22. “This will make a world of difference to a number of these families. It gives them the opportunity to work without the stress of continuously checking in, time to run errands, and above all the peace of mind that their loved one is in a safe environment with trained staff.”
The $25,000 is a CVS Health Community Grant, which stems from the company’s effort to build healthier communities. The funding will directly affect CSSC’s Bright Horizons program, which provides adult day care services to seniors with the intention of keeping them active and involved in the community. Right now, Bright Horizons serves over 125 families in the Capital District, and the grant is projected to provide help for another five to 10 families.
At the celebration, many family members of program attendees commended the care their loved ones receive from the Bright Horizons program. Suzanne Maloney, whose mother is in the program, said she wouldn’t change the experience she’s had for anything. Other family members said their loved ones look forward to getting up in the morning because of Bright Horizons.
On the same day, CSSC announced the addition of two new 12-passenger buses. The buses will be added to the fleet used to transport seniors over the age of 60 or with disabilities to doctor appointments, social events, and shopping trips. Last year, according to a press release, CSSC increased the amount of rides provided by 8 percent.
Last June, CSSC applied for a transportation grant that would pay for a majority of the two new buses. After receiving the grant, which covered about $ 88,386 for the buses, the remaining $22,077 was covered by CSSC with help from businesses including Bank of America, The Troy Savings Bank and KeyBank.
CSSC’s current fleet, without the two newest buses, consists of nine vehicles with nearly 50,000 miles on them. The most recent vehicle is a 10-passenger 2011 Ford. CSSC plans to add one more bus next fall.
“With the addition of these two new buses, we don’t have to spend as much maintaining our older buses, giving us the availability to provide more rides to more seniors in a shorter time frame,” Neary said.