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A Life-Changing Vision
At Coos Elderly Services, we've discovered that helping people to balance their books can often mean bringing their lives into balance, too.
Coos Elderly Services' mission is to provide financial management services to the elderly and other vulnerable members of our community. The day-to-day experience of that mission abounds with far-reaching benefits and consequences. Since its founding in 1991, Coos Elderly Services has come to represent a pioneering social services program that improves and changes lives.
A Commitment to Care
Sr. Mary Laetice Williams, RSM, Director, drew upon her years of ministry as a Sisters of Mercy nursing home administrator and accountant when she created the innovative agency. She recognized the difficulties experienced by elderly individuals who were attempting to manage their finances following an illness or the death of a spouse. Sr. Laetice and one other volunteer began making home visits and offering hands-on help with insurance and personal finances.
As the fledgling agency attracted referrals from community and governmental agencies and institutions, the number of clients increased, along with the complexity of their needs. While continuing to assist the elderly, Coos Elderly Services began to service individuals of all ages who are physically and/or developmentally disabled, or struggling with mental illness.
Partners in Service
Partnerships with referring agencies make it possible for Coos Elderly Services' staff and volunteers to act as advocates and intermediaries, linking clients with needed services and helping to assure that a safety net is in place for them. It is one essential way to sustain the well-being of vulnerable individuals during cutbacks in public programs.
Going well beyond the mission of financial management, they demonstrate a willingness to meet their clients where they are, without judgment, and to walk with them, no matter what.
Coos elderly Services is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt corporation, and is supported by volunteers, donations, grants, clients reimbursements, and fees that are charged according to the client's ability to pay. Many clients can pay only a small amount, and some cannot pay at all. The life-enhancing, and sometimes life-saving work of Coos Elderly Services depends upon the interest and generosity of our community. for more information about Coos Elderly Services, please call us at 756-1202 or come by for a visit.
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