Members of the Los Alamos Retired Senior Organization (LARSO) Lisa Roberts and Nancy Calkins work on the garden outside the White Rock Senior Center. In response to funding cuts, LARSO seeks the community’s support in order to continue its programs and services uninterrupted. Courtesy/LARSO
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO) faces uncertainty in its future.
In a newsletter sent earlier this month to its members, LARSO Executive Director Jacci Gruninger laid out the challenges ahead: the organization is experiencing significant funding cuts from federal and state sources.
Approximately 41 percent of LARSO funding comes from the state while 55 percent from the County, she reported. Historically, LARSO has had to allocate approximately $70,000 annually from the general fund to cover costs. This year, it has been notified that it may need to cover more than $200,000 through donations.
This means, Gruninger said, that LARSO’s ability to continue offering all its programs and services uninterrupted is jeopardized.
The demand for LARSO’s services and programs is high, she said.
Just look at the numbers for the organization’s target audience. In a recent interview with the Los Alamos Daily Post, Gruninger said that according to the last census, 26 percent of residents in Los Alamos are 60 years old or older.
In the next five years it is anticipated that almost a third of those living in Los Alamos will be 60 or older, she said. Even now, LARSO is keeping busy with its multitude of programming, which includes home-delivered meals, congregate meals at the Betty Ehart and White Rock Senior Centers and transportation.
Gruninger said LARSO has 85-92 individuals receiving home delivered meals every day. As far as congregate meals at both senior centers, 80-100 people a day are served.
Regarding its transportation services, she said LARSO provides 350-400 rides a month solely in Los Alamos. There also is a volunteer ride program where people will offer rides off the Hill in their personal vehicles. Typically, this program will provide 15-40 rides a month.
Furthermore, LARSO has 1,250 active members and sees 300-500 members pass through both centers on a weekly basis, Gruninger said.
Board President Donna Haynes said members’ involvement in the senior centers ranges from once a month to every day. They realize, she explained, that being a member of LARSO is a chance to see a friendly face and socialize. The COVID pandemic may have subsided, but LARSO is just now having people return to the centers. People are making more of an effort to socialize because they realize it is good for their well-being, Haynes said.
Older adults also realize that the senior centers are a great resource, Gruninger said.
People can get the wrong idea about older adults, she said. Some still work; some are very involved with their families and LARSO’s goal is to help make it possible for people to age in place.
“When we as staff look at the needs of the community … we really look at what is of interest and how to keep moving forward … we are not choosing to do the same old things all the time … we want to be offering things to keep minds active, engaged and be of interest. We do a lot of work trying to determine what’s new and what could we be doing,” she said.
This is the key to LARSO’s continued success and ability to serve the community.
As Haynes noted, “The best thing you can do is participate.”
Gruninger said the more people who come in for meals, take a ride, the lower the senior centers’ unit costs are because the cost is spread out over more people. Anyone age 60 and older can join the Senior Activity Centers for free and those who are age 55-59 years old are also eligible for just $20 a year.
Another avenue to take to help support LARSO is to donate to its ongoing fundraising campaign.
For the month of July, LARSO is asking for donations to be marked as unrestricted so they can be used wherever they are needed. In August, LARSO will ask that donations be marked for the meals program and then in September, that donations be designated for the transportation program. In October, people will be asked to support the day-out adult daycare. This will be a year-round campaign, people can donate at any time.
The response so far has been positive, Gruninger said.
“We have received quite a number of donations … at this point we have received (about) $30,000 in donations, which has been very generous, and we are appreciative of this.”
Here’s what the donations support:
- A $25 donation provides five nutritious meals for an older adult who might otherwise go without.
- A $50 donation covers the cost of transportation for an older adult to attend crucial medical appointments or access groceries.
- A $100 donation could support a month of engaging activities, combat social isolation, and help support the salaries of staff who provide these services.
Donations can be made online at larso.org/donations, or mailed to 1101 Bathtub Row, Los Alamos NM 87544 or made in person at the centers’ front desk. Please indicate how the money should be designated—unrestricted funds, congregate meals, home-delivered meals, transportation, or Day Out.
While all senior centers in the state are facing similar situations with funding, Gruninger said LARSO is unique because it has a contract with the state, a contract with Los Alamos County and it is a nonprofit.
“That puts strict guidelines on what we are able to do,” she said.
These guidelines dictate how money can be used to pay for different things. Money in one bucket cannot be transferred to another, Gruninger said.
Fortunately, she said LARSO’s board has been smart over the years and set aside reserves for emergencies.
“Unfortunately, we will now have to dip into that, which will make the coffers smaller.”
How much funding LARSO receives is determined by what the state legislature budgets for the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services. The Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging (NMAAA) distributes the monies to each senior center.
This year, Gruninger said LARSO was asked to submit a proposal for a flat budget and to expect even deeper cuts.
Everyone in the community is stepping up to help.
Gruninger said LARSO has had conversations with the County, which has been supportive. Although right now she said it is a waiting game to see what will happen, the County is trying to support in any way it can. More should be known by the end of the first half of the fiscal year, she added.
The Friends of the Senior Centers is also stepping up to support the senior center. LARSO has asked the volunteer group to support the senior centers’ budget rather than fund things outside the budget. Besides fundraising, Friends of the Senior Centers is being asked to help spread community awareness, Haynes said, adding that their efforts are greatly appreciated.
One of the silver linings from this situation is LARSO members are becoming a lot more educated on LARSO’s finances, Haynes said.
“I think it has been a great educational opportunity …,” she said.
Another highlight is seeing the community show up to support LARSO and ensure its future remains bright.
“The community has stepped up to offer what they can,” Haynes said.
