Thank-you notes from all corners of Teller County flood a bulletin board at Teller Senior Coalition’s offices. Each note tells a story of someone who found friendship, a helping hand, or a much-needed respite thanks to TSC’s staff and volunteers.
For these clients and their families, TSC has provided everything from rides to the doctor, to respite for caregivers, to Bingo events and social outings, to homemaking services and warm meals. Each program under TSC’s umbrella furthers a simple goal: Empower older adults throughout the mountainous, rural county to live on their own terms.
“Really all of our services are about allowing seniors to stay in their home as long as possible and live as independently as possible,” Kathy Lowry, TSC’s executive director, explains.
This year, TSC is on track to serve more than a thousand clients in Teller County, Lowry says. And the need for services for seniors is rapidly growing. People 65 and older made up 23.7% of the county’s population in 2022, up from just 13.3% in 2012, American Community Survey data show.
Traveling through Teller together
Most people will lose the ability to drive at some point in their lives, which can be a blow to their independence wherever they live. But in Teller County, losing the ability to drive can make it especially challenging to live on one’s own. Seniors must travel long distances to medical appointments, grocery stores, and pharmacies—in a county with no public transit.
That’s where TSC’s transportation program comes in. Through TSC Transit, volunteers and staff provide no-cost shuttle and van rides to clients who often must travel 20 miles or more to get their basic needs met. Besides offering rides to errands and appointments, the program sparks social connection: Clients can sign up for group excursions to places like Mueller State Park or get a ride to TSC’s weekly Bingo, where they can connect with other seniors in their community over coffee and donuts.
TSC Transit plays a key role in fostering interaction, Lowry says, since weekly routes in different areas of the county mean residents can run errands with their neighbors.
“What’s interesting about those routes is there tends to be a lot of the same people [each week],” Lowry explains. “They’re creating friendships.”
This year, thanks to grant funding from the Colorado Springs Health Foundation, TSC began offering rides to medical appointments for adults ages 18-59, on top of TSC’s normal client base of adults 60 and older. As of early September, the program had already provided over 80 rides.
Meeting community needs
Clients shape the services offered by Teller Senior Coalition, so a big part of TSC’s work is listening and learning from community members. For example, in recent years many of TSC’s clients on fixed incomes expressed difficulty affording the rising cost of living. So, TSC now offers a food pantry and coordinates energy bill assistance.
When Lowry reflects on how TSC makes a difference, one client in particular comes to mind. The client, who suffers from medical issues, was the principal caregiver for her husband. At first, TSC provided homemaking help and respite services so the client could take a break from caregiving to run errands. TSC also installed grab bars in the couple’s home so it would be safer for both of them to navigate. Since the client’s husband passed away, TSC has been helping her deal with the loss.
Funders such as the Colorado Springs Health Foundation allow TSC to provide a breadth of services to each client they serve and adapt their programs to meet community needs.
“A lot of the seniors here don’t have family nearby, so our role becomes their advocate and their family,” Lowry says. “We are who they reach out to if they need help.”