Notice: This is a long read and worth every minute of your time!
Here, you’ll learn about the organization, its history, its relationship to Park Ridge Park District and Park Ridge Senior Center Senior Senate, and all the relevant details you need to know about the “contracts” and “reparations or clawback” as written first hand in original documents; real information, not undocumented statements or opinions, the type of garbage you’ve you’ve been fed in other blogs and in the local papers!
Its time to free yourself of the tyranny of this Board and read the documents they don’t want you to see!
Let’s begin!
I am constantly amazed, even after 20 months of open public discussion, the lack of knowledge by residents surrounding the PRPD/SSI/Senior Center issue. That includes some members and former members of PRPD’s Board of Commissioners and others who refer to Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc. as: “Seniors, Inc.”, “SSI”, “Greedy Geezers”, “Senior Inc/SS”, “SS”, etc.
So, I thought it might be a good idea to replace assumptions and misinformation with document-based facts to enlighten some of my readers and sometime detractors - just a little.
Why Senior Centers?
The other day I asked Park Ridge Senior Senate President, Barbara Hameder; how old the oldest Senior Center member was. She checked around but couldn’t get the fact. However, she did find this out. Currently, fifty-two (52) ninety-plus-year-old members are involved with Senior Center activities. Without the Senior Center, it’s possible the majority of these Nonagenarians would be home – alone. Instead they are experiencing the company of fellow Nonagenarians, as well as Octogenarians, Septuagenarians and Sexagenarians.
To see the complete, full-screen Why Senior Centers, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletter - February 1986 - Why Senior Centers
Understand what Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc. is and how it works, can best be seen by reading its Bylaws.
To see the complete, full-screen Senior Services, Inc. Bylaws, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Senior Services Inc. (SSI) BylawsThe Park Ridge Senior Center was launched in 1980. Three years later, it found itself in the throws of a recession; much as our current Center does today.
For a little more insight into those times, take a moment to review the letter from the Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc., President Raymond Hollis and Park Ridge Senior Center Senior Senate Relationships Committee Chairman; Jim Proebsting.
While you’re at it, notice on page (2) the local organizations and names of distinguished local citizens connected to the original senior center effort.
To see the complete, full-screen Hollis & Proebsting Letters, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
1983 - Letters From Hollis and Proebsting
The Park Ridge Senior Center has always been underfunded relative to other Park ridge Park District services, activities or other taxpayer-funded amusements. In spite of that, Seniors, through Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc., continued to pursue their dream of an independent Senior Center.
To see the complete, full-screen How Center Got Started, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletter - March 1984 - How Center Got Started
Early Park Board Leader Rifkind Recognized SSI’s Role.
To see the complete, full-screen PRPD President Rifkind’s Newsletter, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletter - May 1984 - PRPD President Anita Rifkind
Based on SSI’s Newsletters, SSI and Senior Center’s Senior Senate has always been cognoscente of their financial responsibilities. Here’s an early example:
To see the complete, full-screen SSI Financial Status 1984 Newsletter, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletters - October-November-December 1984 - Financial Status
As time went on, Senior Center membership and activity needs grew beyond the limited capabilities of the original “Center” building. In November 1985’s “Know Your Center” Newsletter, SSI leaders said:
To see the complete, full-screen Need More Space Newsletter, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletter - November 1985 - Need More Space
One month later…
To see the complete, full-screen Launch Fund Raising Drive Newsletter, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Note: Go to the bottom of the document to see where the first check came from!
Newsletter - December 1985 - Launch Fund Raising Drive
Note: That act by Teresa’s father, I believe, cemented what became a life-long love affair between Teresa Grodsky and Park Ridge Senior Center members. When current Board President, Rick Biagi, torched her reputation last January; see: I swear by my tattoo – Part One, he set off a chain reaction, the result of which we are still reading about in local blogs and in local papers.
Not all Senior Centers Are Alike
Back in May of 1986, SSI performed a study involving local and North Shore Senior Centers resulting in the following Newsletter.
To see the complete, full-screen Senior Center Comparative Study, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletter - May 1986 - Senior Center Comparative Study
By mid-year 1986 Senior Center membership had grown to 1,800+ with over 3,000 contacts (member-visits) per month; and it was becoming clear the building would have to be expanded.
Over the next year, Senior Services, Inc. (SSI), working with Park Ridge Park District officials, local community members, senior volunteers and others, worked out the details for the much-needed 100 S. Western building expansion.
Then, in November 1987, SSI kicked off Seniors efforts to fulfill their part of the agreement with PRPD. SSI obligated seniors to raise $350,000; half the cost of the building expansion.
I won’t go into all the detail’s I’ve uncovered describing the immense efforts SSI and Senior volunteers went through to raise the money, but I will provide these small clips from SSI’s Newsletters.
From the August 1988 Newsletter.
From the November 1988 Newsletter.
From the December 1988 Newsletter.
From the January 1989 Newsletter.
To see the complete, full-screen Newsletter – April 1989 – It is Done, click the box on the lower right side of the document window. To move UP or DOWN use the SLIDER on the right.
Newsletters - April 1989 - It is Done
The fundraising efforts I’ve just described represent a single but significant part of SSI’s fund-raising activity history.
SSI – More Than Just Fundraising
SSI is more than just the fundraising arm of Senior Center members. SSI was also the organization PRPD contracted with for 30 years to use the 100 S. Western building for its Senior Center activities. More on that in a future blog post.
So, next time someone tells you Seniors didn’t contribute significantly to improving that taxpayer owned property, send them to this page for the facts!
Of course, it’s just my opinion!
3 comments:
I just had to thank Ken Butterly for his time and efforts in bringing this to light. Many of us had no idea the difficulties that were encountered by the members of SSI and the Senior Center who worked so hard to raise the money for the expansion of the building. I think we all need to pass the word and have everyone read this post.
While it's clearly already been Helen's life work to pass the word on the SSI's view of the situation, some of us want to thank Ken for continuing to bring to light the disconnect between the SSI's leaders' views and the facts as they appear in the paperwork.
Wow, great post? When is SSI going to get it's own building for which to raise money? Rule 1 of renting or in this case, imposing self rule, don't improve a facility and expect to be paid unless you have something in writing.. The contract should have been written better to protect SSI (Can't say the seniors because seniors will continue to utilize the facility)..
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