Fairbanks Community Development Block Grant - Public Meeting

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, there will be a public meeting to present proposals for the Community Development Block Grant. The purpose of this meeting is to determine the community development priorities for the Fairbanks North Star Borough, hear proposals and citizen comments on proposed projects, and to approve proposed projects that wish to apply for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

In order to apply for the CDBG, the Fairbanks Senior Center must demonstrate that the community supports our project.

We cannot be considered for funding and will not pass the threshold review without your support!

We need to pack the house! Please Attend In Person

ABOUT THE FAIRBANKS SENIOR CENTER CDBG PROPOSAL:

The CDBG funds that we are requesting will be used for critical building renovations for the Fairbanks Senior Center. Originally constructed in 1973, the building that houses the Fairbanks Senior Center is not ADA compliant, and has not been substantively renovated since the 1980's. As is, the building currently operates beyond maximum capacity.

The Fairbanks Senior Center represents a vital part of the care network for our senior community, including the only Meals on Wheels program for the Interior of Alaska. Our administrative offices house four additional partner agencies that provide essential senior services across the Fairbanks North Star Borough. We are home to a total of five programs, including:

• Nutrition, Transportation, and Support Services, including Meals on Wheels, Senior Transportation, Homemaker Services, Errand Runners, and Silver Squad Telephone Wellness Callers;
• Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) North, an agency that connects individuals with local supports and services;
• Helping Hands Home Modification, helping seniors remain independent through home modifications.
• Senior Companions, a volunteer organization in support of independent living; and the
• Aging at Home Fairbanks, a membership program and part of the Village to Village Network.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were operating near capacity, and we knew that an expansion was needed to meet the needs of our rapidly increasing senior population. However, the expansion project was to be implemented over the next few years in several phases. The COVID-19 pandemic has swiftly escalated our time-table, and beginning renovations is imperative to continue to provide services to the seniors of our community.

Despite the challenges that have arisen from COVID-19, we continue to deliver meals to our home-bound seniors enrolled in our Meals on Wheels Program.

Additionally, because all seniors are disproportionately at risk for contracting COVID-19, our Meals on Wheels Program has waived all requirements to become a recipient and is now available to all seniors in our community. We have also added services including a Telephone Wellness Check program, Errand Runners, and delivery of fresh produce, groceries, and supplies.

Opening up our services to all seniors has underscored the urgency of our need for additional space, both for the kitchen and public services areas. Far from being a short-term reaction to a COVID-19, this expansion has long been needed in order to meet the needs of our rapidly increasing senior population.

In 2019, the Fairbanks Senior Center contracted with Agnew: Beck to analyze to gather the facts about our senior population. Click here to view the Senior Needs Assessment!

The data from the assessment showed that the Interior of Alaska has tremendous holes in wrap-around services to ensure that the pioneers who built our community age safely in the communities of their choosing.

There are approximately 18,000 seniors age 60 and older living in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, a number projected to grow to more than 21,000 in the next 15 years.

The Senior Center’s greatest concern lies with the population 80 and older. This age group, which requires the most intensive services, will almost triple from 1,500 to over 5,400 by 2035. With only 250 assisted/nursing home beds available, the need for adequate in-home care is critical.

It is vital to the health and independence of our community of seniors that we start immediately to expand our support systems and programs before the need is greater than we can serve. We have the knowledge, skills, partnerships, and ability to serve our seniors; we just need adequate space to do so safely. Without this critical renovation, we will no longer be able to meet the needs of the ever-increasing number of seniors that need our services.

The Fairbanks Senior Center is deeply committed to serving the needs of our community in innovative and sustainable ways. Fueled by our core values of empathy, interdependence, and preservation of the inherent worth of all people, we strive to ensure that the people who took care of us aren’t left behind, forgotten, or hungry – and instead can live the independent lives they deserve and feel nourished through the kind of life-giving connections that help them thrive.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE FAIRBANKS SENIOR CENTER BY ATTENDING THE MEETING & VOTING FOR OUR MUCH NEEDED EXPANSION!

We sincerely appreciate your consideration of this important request and strongly urge you to support us at the public hearing on Thursday, September 17th.

With your support, we can prepare for the difficult challenges ahead!