Saratoga nonprofit Successful Aging Solutions & Community Consulting (SASCC) will be partnering with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to meet the nutritional needs of older adults in the West VAlley.
Since 2022, Live Oak Senior Center in Los Gatos has been a grocery rescue partner with Second Harvest in operating a food pantry at the Los Gatos United Methodist Church, according to Diane Hayward, director of marketing and communications at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. However, the church told Second Harvest that due to organization changes, they would no longer be able to host Live Oak’s food pantry, which primarily served the senior population in the area.
Upon hearing about the program’s discontinuation, SASCC CEO Tylor Taylor contacted Second Harvest to discuss becoming a grocery rescue partner. Taylor said the program at the church served 70-100 older adults a day, providing free groceries to those struggling to make ends meet. Taylor said SASCC and Second Harvest are in the process of finalizing their contract, and a location will be launched in Saratoga.
“The West Valley is unique in that it has a reputation for being a very affluent area, and it is, but there are a lot of seniors that live in the West Valley who have a little bit too much in assets or have just enough income to make them ineligible for lots of the programs that exist,” Taylor said.
Taylor said this is the first time that SASCC is getting involved in food distribution and that the effort is its first partnership with Second Harvest. SASCC operates the Saratoga Senior Center, Saratoga Adult Care Center and RYDE Senior Transportation. They also serve as consultants for colleges, organizations and local governments to help them accommodate older adults.
In a community assessment survey of older adults conducted by SASCC in 2023, 31% of people over age 65 in Los Gatos said they were struggling financially.
“We know that food is one of those issues where people have to weigh out their decisions of ‘Should I have a membership at the local senior center or 55+ program or should I eat this week?’” Taylor said.
The RYDE program is also being impacted by budget shortfalls. The program provides is a curb-to-curb transportation and local trip planning services for seniors in Santa Clara County. RYDE is a collaboration between SASCC, West Valley Community Services, Santa Clara County and the City of Morgan Hill.
Taylor said the program typically gets $160,000 a year from the county, but with a projected deficit of $470 million in the upcoming fiscal year, the county notified service providers that cuts were coming. Additionally, the program lost about two-thirds of its funding from the state, dropping from $340,000 to $111,000.
“If the county cuts the program, we’ll be forced to reduce service, but also, we’ll have to use more of our time, energy and resources to fundraise and find other means of supporting the RYDE program,” Taylor said.
Despite the budget cuts, Taylor said RYDE’s partner organizations are looking to electrify their fleet, launch an app with same-day scheduling and have licensed clinical social workers function as drivers in addition to other social service supports.
“This population of older adults is growing, their needs profiles are increasing, and we have to something to meet their needs,” Taylor said. “It’s almost at a crisis situation.”
