TRUMBULL COUNTY Agency seeks ways to keep senior transport services

The new office director had worked 31 years in banking.
NILES -- Folks at 10 meal sites run by the Trumbull County Office of Elderly Affairs get a lot more than a plateful of food for the suggested donation of $1.25.
"The real story is people being together, talking, having a reason to get up in the morning," said Karen Saker, nutrition project director.
"The socialization is more important for many than the food. Although, many of these people are alone and wouldn't cook for themselves. They'd live on soup and sandwiches."
Besides Niles, they're are meal sites in Cortland, Warren (two), Girard, Hubbard, Lordstown, Newton Falls, West Farmington and Kinsman. The only criteria for coming to these is age: 60 or older.
The county's budget crunch will affect the meal sites, even though none will be closed because of the county's cash shortage.
However, come Monday, the Office of Elderly Affairs has to figure a new way to get some people to the meal sites, to the doctor and to stores.
That's because the office's van services are being cut.
Director Gary Engstrom says he's "shutting down stuff" because, without acting now, the agency would be out of business by June.
How many are affected?
About 30 people that have been riding the vans to the nutrition sites, for 250 meal days annually, will be affected. An additional 52 home-delivered meals from these sites now will be delivered by employees using their own cars. Some 250 volunteers throughout the year come to these sites to set up, clean up, help with exercise, crafts and coffee.
"There will be about 7,500 trips to the meal sites that I can't supply now. We will need to find another way to deliver about 13,000 meals," Engstrom explained.
One of two vans that people could call for doctor visits also is gone. "We will not be able to supply about 1,500 medical trips. We do about 7,500 medical trips a year," he said.
In February, county commissioners approved layoffs in the Office of Elderly Affairs. This was the same day commissioners agreed to advertise the two public hearings required to discuss an additional county sales tax.
Aware of the agency's troubles are Betty Byrom, 82, and Goldie Luke, 78, both of Niles, who both were enjoying chicken and noodles last week at the Niles nutrition site at the Steelworkers Hall on Niles Road.
The van they ride will be gone. Byrom's been coming 13 years; Luke, for eight years. Now the site manager, JoAnn Calvin of Brookfield, will pick up Luke. Another client who drives, Jeanne Cottrell, 77, of Niles -- coming since 1993 -- will bring Byrom.
"They are really fortunate, they will get a ride with somebody. That's not always the case. They're a very close little group here," Saker said.
Byrom doesn't cook for herself and said if she couldn't get to the site she'd be sitting in her apartment. "It's the people, having somebody to talk to, play cards and do crafts," she said.
Luke likes the food but agreed the socialization is important.
"If it wasn't for this right here, I couldn't afford my groceries for the whole month," said Cottrell, whose only income is Social Security. She has no problem driving another person. "I know how important it is for these ladies to get out every day."
The office laid off a full-time clerk/dispatcher and three full-time van drivers, reduced one full-time driver to part time and furloughed a part-time driver. This week is the first week without them.
"We've had bumps in the road before, but this is the worst it's ever been," noted Saker, who has 20 years with the office. Engstrom came on board about a year ago after retiring from the former First Federal Savings and Loan Association after 31 years.
Budget reduction
The office's general fund budget was reduced from $150,000 in 2004 to $90,000 this year. Engstrom had sought $200,000 because the agency has been spending its cash reserves.
"A frugal manager never wants to have less than 2 or 2.2 months of cash reserve. We were down to right around one month," he said. "The grants don't supply enough to cover the cost, so we subsidize that grant with county money to finish the service."
The office uses its county cash to secure grants from both the District XI Area Agency on Aging and Trumbull County Job and Family Services, based on the number of people transported and the number of meals served. The office gets the money only when it provides the services, but this year both agencies have agreed not to renegotiate or pull grants away.
"They're going to let us rebuild. They're going to stand behind us, they're going to give us an opportunity to survive," Engstrom said.
He hopes to end this year with 1.3 months of cash reserve if nothing unforeseen occurs and is looking for other funding sources, such as one-year gifts or applying for new types of grants not previously sought.
"I have three vans there that need repair and won't run, but I can't repair them. But it works out because I've got no people to drive them," he noted.
What else
The first of two public sales tax hearings is Friday morning. Because collections are calculated quarterly, any new tax couldn't begin until July 1, with the money available in October. It could mean an additional $2 million for the county later this year.
The Office of Elderly Affairs' laid off employees' unemployment benefits will run out after 26 weeks. "My good, trained staff probably has no option but to go find another job. They can't wait for the county to fix this -- it's too late," Engstrom said.
The county already collects a half percent sales tax as part of the total 5.5 percent, but in 2003 voters soundly rejected an additional half percent that the county had been collecting. As a result the $32 million certified for the county's general fund this year is $6 million short of what was needed, officials said.