Thank you, Lassen Senior Services
In August 2020, more than two years ago, Lassen Senior Services and the Planning and Service Area 2 Area Agency on Aging board that allots governmental funding for senior meals in Lassen County ran into some turbulence regarding LSS’ spending and accounting practices. Shortly thereafter, LSS and PSA 2 ended their financial relationship. Fair enough. I do not intend to revisit those issues or question the soundness or wisdom of that decision now.
But here’s what you ought to know. Since that breakup, LSS has continued to feed our Lassen County seniors with funds it raised on its own. All that time PSA 2 did nothing. While no one involved will say there is any relationship between LSS’ announcement it will no longer provide meals to seniors, effective last Friday, Nov. 18, and Lassen County’s announcement of the new Dine Around Town Senior Nutrition Pilot Program funded by PSA 2 scheduled to launch Monday, Nov. 28 — both coming late last week — I suspect the two announcements are related.
It would be extremely unfair of me to criticize a new program that hasn’t even officially launched yet, so I won’t do that. Frankly, I hope for our seniors’ sake it’s a spectacular success.
Still, we all should recognize LSS and everyone involved with that agency deserves a big shout out from our community. The reality worm that’s gnawing hard on me points out that for about 18 months that little nonprofit on Riverside Drive proved its commitment to feeding our seniors, showed its compassion, dedication and good will to the mission at hand. All that time LSS freely assumed the responsibility of feeding our seniors completely on its own without any governmental funding from PSA 2. Sadly, I guess we live in a time in which such effort counts for naught with the decision-makers and the powers that be.
So today, as we tumble over the precipice of this perplexing crossroad where such a partner gets cast aside, I hope you’ll join me in saying thank you and well done to Lassen Senior Services. I have no doubt its contributions to our senior citizens will be sorely missed.
