Community Spotlight: Homage Senior Services
In 2024, Homage Senior Services (formerly known as Senior Services of Snohomish County) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. It has been an honor for Beresford Booth to support Homage through board participation, volunteer work, and sponsorship support. In recognition of Homage’s significant milestone, Beresford Booth takes this opportunity to shine a spotlight on the important work Homage does to support Snohomish County’s senior population and upcoming opportunities for members of our community to help support Homage’s work during its Golden Anniversary.
Organizational Summary & Mission
Homage is the largest and most comprehensive non-profit service provider for older adults and people with disabilities in Snohomish County (a population of more than 125,000 people and growing). Its guiding principles of independence, dignity and quality of life are realized through four core service areas – food and nutrition, social services, home repair, and transportation.
The intent of Homage’s programming is to help people age with grace and dignity. The organization is there to assist with emergent situations, but also to take a proactive approach to help its clients maintain as much independence for as long as possible. For 50 years, Homage has persisted in its mission to keep Snohomish County’s older adults connected to resources and their community.
History of Service
Since 1974, Homage has offered comprehensive services to low-income seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers throughout Snohomish County. For 50 years, Homage has continuously provided Meals on Wheels, Community Table Dining at senior centers, Information Assistance, Transportation, and Home Repair. Homage also offers social service programs like Care Coordination, Mental Health, Family Caregiver and Americorps Seniors. In 2013, the multicultural Center for Healthy Living opened in Lynnwood. Today, seniors and adults with disabilities all over Snohomish County are served by Homage’s 102 staff, plus 242 regular volunteers who donated 48,000 hours of their time in 2023.
Key Programs and Achievements
Through its core service areas of nutrition, transportation, home repair and health and wellness, which together comprise over 20 programs, Homage serves 20,000 individuals annually. These interconnected service programs help create a support network that allows Homage’s clients the resources to live independently and with dignity as they age.
Food and Nutrition – Homage operates two meal programs. Meals on Wheels drivers deliver nutritious meals to homebound older adults and people with disabilities, serving 1,715 clients with 281,576 meals in 2023. The Community Table Dining Program offers hot meals and a gathering place for meaningful socializing at 11 locations throughout Snohomish County, serving 115,000 meals annually. The Center for Healthy Living in Lynnwood offers weekly gathering space, activities, and meals for multicultural senior groups. There has been a 36% increase since 2019 in the annual number of meals served through Homage’s Nutrition Program.
It has been an honor for Beresford Booth lawyers and family members to assist Homage’s Food and Nutrition group to prepare and deliver thousands of Thanksgiving meals over the last several years. We look forward each year to this wonderful volunteer opportunity. If you would like to volunteer to assist Homage, please contact Volunteer Manager Michelle Frye or visit Homage’s Volunteer Page.
Social Services – Finding the right support service at the right time can be overwhelming for older adults, individuals with disabilities and those who care for them. Each year Homage helps thousands of people find solutions to life’s challenges through its Aging and Disability Resource Network, fielding over 20,000 inquiries per year. Health and Wellness social services encompass Mental Health, Care Coordination, Family Caregiver, Senior Companion, and Foster Grandparent to help families stay connected, find resources, and reduce isolation. In 2023, Homage served 2,678 clients through its social service programs. Homage’s mental health programs have seen a dramatic rise in clients due to the isolation brought on by COVID-19.
Home Repair – Homage’s Minor Home Repair program provides safety repairs and accessibility modifications that enable low-income seniors and adults with disabilities to stay in their own homes as they age. Typical repairs include installation of handrails, ramp repairs, plumbing and carpentry repairs, water heater replacements, heating repairs, and repairs on minor roof leaks. In 2023, 556 low-income senior homeowners received 1,222 home repairs.
Transportation – Homage’s Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) provides door-to-door service to seniors and adults with disabilities in rural areas of Snohomish County to medical appointments, shopping and other errands, providing 25,604 trips in 2023, for 496,175 miles travelled. Pay Your Pal is a supplemental TAP-area volunteer driver reimbursement program. TAP also contracts with local senior centers to provide designated trip transportation for senior community groups.
King 5 News recently featured Homage’s TAP program in a touching piece focusing on funding challenges Homage seeks to overcome to continue providing critical transportation services to seniors and disabled individuals in rural parts of Snohomish County. https://homage.org/tap-federal-funding-runs-out/
Opportunities to Get Involved
Anniversary Breakfast Event: On October 18, 2024, Homage will host “Together Towards Tomorrow: Celebrating 50 Years of Impact.” This breakfast fundraiser represents Homage’s first in-person fundraiser since before the 2020 pandemic. The event will take place at the Carl Gipson Center—Homage’s valued partner in service of seniors located in Everett, Washington. Homage is currently looking for event and table sponsors. If you would like to get involved, please reach out to Homage’s Director of Philanthropy, Angela Bishop or visit the Registration Page.
Open House Event: On September 18, 2024, Homage will host an open house event in the late afternoon. Drinks and light refreshments will be served and members of the community will have an opportunity to tour Homage’s headquarters (the old White’s Nursery building on 196th in Lynnwood) and learn more about Homage’s programs. For more information, please reach out to Homage’s Director of Philanthropy, Angela Bishop.
Volunteer Opportunities: If you would like to volunteer to assist Homage with meal preparation or delivery or with any other rewarding volunteer opportunities, please contact Volunteer Manager Michelle Frye or visit Homage’s Volunteer Page.
Giving Opportunities: To learn more about opportunities to donate to Homage, please visit Homage’s Giving Page.
Beresford Booth commends Homage on its 50 years of service to our community, and we look forward to the next 50 years.