Meals-on-Wheels
Senior Centers
Homebound Services
Foster Grandparent Program
Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
Midland Senior Center
Southeast Senior Services
Volunteer
Fundraisers
Newsletter
Contact Us
Community & Senior Services
Executive Director
Donations 		 

The History of Community & Senior Services

THE PURPOSE 

The purpose of Community and Senior Services (CSS), a private, non-profit agency, is to determine human needs of individuals with Midland County which are not being acted upon by other agencies, organizations or churches and to designate and implement programs and services to alleviate these recognized concerns and/or sufferings. 

CSS HISTORY

1974  -  The Beginnings 

  • Outreach project of First Christian Church focusing on        programs for the elderly

1982  -  Incorporated

  • Incorporated as private, non-profit agency 

  • Social and homebound services for the elderly 

  • Older adult counseling 

1984

  • Seminars on aging and retirement 

  • Became involved with health care task force  

1985

  • Visiting Nurse Service (VNS): Established as part of Community & Senior Services.  Provides professional health care to Midland residents, regardless of age or ability to pay.

  • Reduces hospital/community indigent health care expenses.

1986

  • Donation of 2.5 acre Fuhrman estate 

  • Houses administrative offices 

  • Provides teaching/counseling facilities 

  • Provides large professional kitchen for elderly nutrition 

  • Presidential Award for Private Sector Initiatives 

  • Awarded for innovative work in the community and use of volunteers

  • Presentation made at the White House 

1987 

  • Moved into the Fuhrman Center donated to CSS by the Mary & Al Vogel.

  • Kitchen constructed at the Fuhrman Center:  Result of Mabee Foundation and Abell-Hanger Foundation Grants.

  • Assumed Title III funded congregate meals program (Senior Center meal program)

  • Prepared weekend Share-A-Meal program 

  • CSS became operational manager of Midland Senior Activity Center 

  • VNS provided 24 hour private duty health care 

1988

  • Assumed the weekday homebound nutrition programs 

  • Meals-on-Wheels 

  • Need-a-Meal 

  • Served 70,000 meals for the year 

  • Visiting Nurse Service expansion 

  • VNS expanded to Odessa and surrounding counties 

  • Expansion based on need and unavailability of health care facilities 

1989 

  • CSS became a member of United Way of Midland and United Way of Odessa 

  • Became operational manager of Southeast Senior Citizens Program 

  • VNS makes approximately 30,000 home health care visits 

  • Nutrition program:  Provided noon meals for Midland Senior Center, Southeast Senior Center, Casa de Amigos and home-delivered meals 

  • Approximately 600 volunteers involved in programs 

1990 

  • CSS - Remodeling & expansion of the Fuhrman Center 
  • New parking lot built for an additional 25 cars 
  • Guest house doubled in size to expand VNS facilities 
  • Patio enclosed for teaching/conference area and additional office space 
  • Addition of sophisticated computer hardware to accommodate the 200,000 units of service provided annually 
  • Funded by :  Abell-Hanger Foundation, Meadows Foundation, Individual contributions, Mabee Foundation, Corporate donations
  • Nutrition programs served 86,000 meals 

1991 

  • Remodeling/expansion of Fuhrman Center kitchen facilities funded by foundations and individuals 
  • Served 108,000 meals
  • VNS serves 17 county area 
  • Provided 2,100 visits per month 
  • Southeast Community Senior Center:  New facility - Washington Park - Opened March 1, 1991 
  • Other CSS programs:  
  • Friendly Visitor Program - Volunteers who visit isolated and lonely elderly persons 
  • Telephone Reassurance - Volunteers contact the elderly daily to visit and check their welfare
  • Handy Man - Minor home repairs 
  • Grocery Shopping - for those who are homebound 
  • Permian Gold Card - (no charge for card)
  • Transferred VNS to VNA of Dallas; established sister agency relationship

1992 

  • Expanded Homebound Services Department:  Provided 17,000 units of service for Friendly Visitor, Telephone Reassurance, Handyman and Grocery Express.  Added bridging Generations - a Friendly Visitor Program using Big Brother/Big Sister volunteers.  Added Texaco and Nations Bank as participants in Telephone Reassurance 
  • Nutrition served 128,000 meals
  • Provided staff for Midland housing initiative 
  • Produced aging/care giving television series "Common Concerns" 
  • Produced series for regional/national syndication purposes 
  • Became involved in local affordable housing initiative 
  • Initiated a partnership with Casa de Amigos and Memorial Hospital & Medical Center to address the problem of the lack of accessibility and availability of affordable health care services in southeast Midland.
  • Partnership with Junior League to provide Senior Craft Fair 

1993 

  • Expanded Homebound Services to Odessa - Telephone Reassurance through grants from Junior League of Odessa and Noel Foundation
  • Obtained Title III funding for Residential Repair (Handyman) 
  • Obtained Title III funding for new Senior Helpline 
  • Nutrition served 143,000 meals 
  • Homebound Services provided 20,000 units of service 
  • Established Community Memorial Clinic at Southeast Center & Casa de Amigos thru health care partnership with hospital 
  • Assisted in establishing $1.5 million Housing Trust fund at Permian Basin Area Foundation as a result of a affordable housing involvement 
  • Formed partnership with Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to sponsor a HUD elderly housing project

1994

  • Obtained Action Grant for RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program) 
  • HUD awarded CSS and Hispanic Chamber a grant to construct a 41-unit low income housing project

1995

  • United Way grant for after-school program initiated in Southeast Midland 
  • CSS Board decided to limit services to Midland County 
  • Withdrew from Odessa United Way 
  • Working closely with VNS to increase its health care services 

1996

  • Expanded after-school program in Southeast Midland, drawing on partnerships with other non-profit agencies 
  • Launched new fundraiser, Restaurant Roller Relay

1997

  • Initiated a capital expansion/renovation project.
  • Garage Sale Warehouse donated to CSS by Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Innerarity.
  • Expanded fundraiser to Race & Taste 

1998 

  • Construction completed on new 3,300 sq. ft Meals-on-Wheels kitchen 
  • VNS's Midland office closed, discontinued health care service 
  • Spring fundraiser name changed to Gourmet Gala 

1999

  • Tenth year for Texas-Size Garage Sale fundraiser 
  • Staff 37 
  • 1,800+ volunteer hours/month by 600+ volunteers 
  • Approximately 151,000 meals served:  405/day home delivered, 151/day at senior centers, Average cost/meal:  $3.92
  • Meals prepared for:  Meals-on-Wheels, Need-a-Meal, Share-a-Meal, Midland Senior Center, Southeast Senior Center, Casa de Amigos
  • Senior Centers:  Midland Senior Center, Southeast Senior Center, Activity programs at Hillcrest, Langtry, and Parker Place, public housing facilities) 
  • Homebound Services:  Telephone Reassurance, Friendly Visitor, Handyman, Grocery Express 
  • RSVP:  500 volunteers, 66 work stations 

COMMUNITY & SENIOR SERVICES - TODAY 

2000

  • Budget 1.2 million 

  • Funding Sources Breakdown:  Foundations 6%, Government Grants 59%, Investments/Misc. 5%, United Way 10%, Private Donations 17%, Program Income 3% 

2001

  • Received $257,000 grant from corporation for national service to implement a Foster 

2002

  • CSS celebrates 20 years of service. 

2003

  • CSS received a $204,000 Grant from Corporation for National Service to implement a Senior Companion Program. 

 

 

 

   

Home  ·  Contact Us