Aging Together Capital Campaign

Council on Aging of Central Oregon – Bend, Oregon

The Council on Aging of Central Oregon was formed in 1975 as the federally designated and funded Area Agency on Aging (AAA), serving thousands of Central Oregon adults aged sixty and over—and their unpaid caregivers—with a range of programming and services including congregate meals and Meals on Wheels delivery, Medicare counseling, information and referral to indirect senior services providers, respite and caretaker support, case management, options counseling, and health education; all to enable older adults and those with disabilities to continue living with independence, safety, well-being, and dignity.    

In the past decade, Central Oregon has experienced an unprecedented increase in the population of older adults. It is projected that older adults will account for 25% of the Deschutes County population and 30% in Crook and Jefferson Counties by 2040. The implications of these population shifts on the local economy, health care and social services for seniors are significant.

By 2018 it was clear that the Council on Aging would need additional space for service delivery and to house the growing administrative staff needed to meet the current and anticipated demand. Most importantly, the Council on Aging needed unrestricted access to a commercial kitchen and dining hall to address the expanding need for nutritious congregate and home delivered meals, as well as a location to meet others experiencing the same isolation and loneliness that was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The acquisition of the building has been instrumental in their ability to prepare and deliver healthy meals during the pandemic and illustrates Council on Aging’s ability to address the growth of essential senior services. In the first six months of 2020, their Meals on Wheels delivery expanded 30% and the congregate dining program pivoted to a Grab-N-Go system that combined, ultimately provided nearly 150,000 meals for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.

The purpose and vision of the Aging Together Capital Campaign is to create a tri-county senior services hub from which strategic housing, transportation, food insecurity, technology, physical and mental health care, diversity, and social connection programs and services can be planned and implemented with a specific focus on the senior population in Central Oregon. This will be an inclusive facility that offers regular hot meals, social events celebrating holidays and special activities, classes in meal preparation and nutrition, gardening, and other special interests, as well as direct counseling, case management and volunteer training - all in one centralized location.

When the JTMF Foundation learned of this project, Phase 1 of the campaign was complete, allowing for the acquisition of the building. Phase 2 and 3 which would entail a full renovation to customize the space to specifically meet the Council on Aging’s unique needs still needed funding. JTMF initially provided $165,500 to allow Phase 2 work to begin.  Once the Council on Aging had secured additional funding, JTMF then closed out Phase 3 of the campaign with an additional $700,000 grant. Construction is expected to be completed in 2023 and we are excited about the increased services that will be provided to Central Oregonians.