The Senior Citizens Association (SCA) in Florence County is a private, non-profit organization. It is community-based and relies on grants, donations, contributions, membership fees, and volunteers to provide services and assistance to Florence County senior citizens.
The mission of the SCA is to provide a full range of services and assistance to senior citizens 60 years of age and older in Florence County. These services assure the physical, mental, and social well-being of the county’s senior citizens; enhance the quality of life; and assist seniors in remaining independent.
The SCA has been in operation for 39 years. In December 1968, the Secretary of State granted a charter to SCA. The agency began operating on April 1, 1969 in an office donated by People’s Federal Savings and Loan. Originally known as the Florence County Council on Aging (FCCOA), the agency has been providing services to Florence County’s senior population since 1968. In 1997, the Board of Directors voted to change the name of the agency to Senior Citizens Association in Florence County.
SCA was one of the first of six councils on aging agencies established in South Carolina. Its founding marked the realization of several years of planning by a dedicated group of local people who felt that the aging population in the community was being overlooked. What began as volunteer efforts in the 1960’s has grown into a strong program of services for senior citizens throughout Florence County today.
The SCA’s Board of Directors is a policy making body that has consumer and volunteer representation. The board meets on a monthly basis. The board has several standing committees; an agenda is developed and recorded minutes from previous meetings are distributed to the board members prior to a scheduled meeting.
The ideal situation for senior citizens is to receive services and participate in programs which enable them to socialize and interact with others, also to remain as active and involved as possible. The SCA has made every effort to meet this need for Florence County’s senior citizens by operating five group dining sites throughout Florence County. The sites are located in Florence, Lake City, Johnsonville, Timmonsville and Olanta. At each site, seniors not only receive a hot, nutritious meal, but they also participate in planned social and recreational activities. For seniors who are unable to drive or arrange transportation, the agency provides transportation to and from the group dining sites.
This agency is fortunate to have five dining sites and will be pursuing other funding to support other group dining sites in the following areas: Pamplico, Coward/Scranton and Effingham.
The majority of the clients served over the past 39 years are of greatest social and economic need as defined by the State Unit on Aging. A prioritization form is used for all services which assigns higher priority for those of greatest social and economic need. The SCA accepts referrals by telephone, walk-in, and written requests by the individual, family members, neighbors/concerned citizens and/or other agencies. Once a referral is made, the service manager schedules an appointment with the potential client and completes an assessment through a home visit.
The SCA has worked hard over the years to acquire and expand senior activities in Florence County by building two senior centers. The Florence senior center includes a computer lab, arts/crafts area, training room, activity/social lounge, physical fitness room, conference space, medical wing and a multi-purpose room that will be able to accommodate over 500 individuals (this includes dining and food services facilities). Since the facility is located on 3.5 acres, several outdoor activities are promoted. The SCA’s administrative offices are included in the 15,000 square foot facility.
The Lake City senior center opened November 2006; the center includes a computer lab, social/recreational area, medical office, and multi-purpose room (this includes dining and food services facilities); the administrative staff also moved into this 8,000 square foot building. Several outdoor activities such as senior games and other events specifically for seniors are proposed at the facility.
Both senior center facilities operates the group dining program as well as use the kitchen facilities for processing home delivered meals. The facilities also hosted stations for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). We are very happy to have brand new facilities for the seniors to attend and to eat a hot, nutritious meal while participating in planned activities. The size of the kitchen and dining area provides an opportunity for more volunteers to participate in the program. More volunteers are able to attend social and recreational activities at the center and have become more aware of the services available for seniors in the county.
The SCA sponsored the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for over 29 years. This program offers volunteer opportunities for seniors age 55 and older to donate their time and talents to the community.
The SCA is committed to ensuring the optimal utilization of resources and to developing an infrastructure to effectively implement grants and program activities. Over the past five years, the SCA has been involved in several activities to sustain its program. These activities include solicitation of board members and staff contributions; grant writing; distribution of solicitation letters to churches and businesses for event sponsorship; fundraising events; and in-kind donations.
