DuPage Senior Citizens Council Director Seeks to Correct 'Misrepresentations'

• Editor's note: The executive director of the DuPage Senior Citizens Council shares a letter she sent to Village Council candidates in an effort to clear up "misrepresentations." She has submitted it to Downers Grove Patch as a letter to the editor.

Dear Candidates:

As Election Day approaches, many concerned Downers Grove residents have indicated to me that facts about the DuPage Senior Citizens Council (DSCC) and one of our major programs for seniors are being misrepresented by some individuals either running for or currently holding elected positions.     

This letter is to clarify and present basic facts about DSCC and our home delivered meal program, commonly referred to as “Meals On Wheels”—who we are, who we serve, and how we are funded.  Toward that end, please review the points below. For greater detail, please refer to the attached White Paper which outlines the need to assist seniors in our county. 

Other points to consider:

1) Not-for-Profits are not equal. 
501(c) (3)s come in all shape and sizes and have different ways of being funded.  DSCC cannot be compared to a church or a charity—we are neither. DSCC has been around since 1975, working directly with DuPage communities to provide services to seniors that enable them to live with dignity. DSCC is proud to be the Older American’s Act (OAA), Title IIIC-2 home-delivered meal program grantee in DuPage County, a grant we apply for every three years and for which we receive state and federal dollars (derived from tax payers). However, the amount DSCC receives is pre-determined, based on census demographics (not program costs) and is less than half of what it takes to operate that program. Raising the remaining funds is the responsibility of the grantee and we do so through submitting grant requests, asking for donations directly from the seniors we serve, and by soliciting support from the community at large.

2) Support to DSCC from a Municipality stays in that Municipality. 
It is a fact that DSCC must serve all seniors living in DuPage County as we are the OAA Title IIIC-2 grantee for the entire county. We receive the state and federal funds based on the demographics for the entire county. However, these funds do not cover the cost of the program, creating a cost gap that differs for each municipality. DSCC submits requests for support to all municipalities in DuPage County based on the demographics and service statistics that are unique and equate to each. Consequently, the cost gap for each municipality differs. Support from each municipality goes directly to underwrite the cost gap of seniors served in that municipality—our records support that fact. Last year, while only one DuPage municipality provided the total amount of the cost gap for their community, most other DuPage municipalities provided some level of monetary support to DSCC and in relation to their senior population. For the last two years, Downers Grove provided no municipal funding but nearly led the list in the number of seniors we served.  

3) An Annual Report—AKA “Beware of inaccurate interpretations”
It is a fact that DSCC’s budget is approximate $2.5 million. However, that is the budget to operate all of our programs, not just the OAA, Title IIIC-2 “Meals on Wheels” grant program. It is also a fact that money we receive, no matter where it comes from, is almost always “restricted” and must be used for a specific program or service, over a specific time period. Time periods for grants overlap and are not always consistent with the recipient’s fiscal year. Consequently, showing a “surplus” one year on an annual report does not equate to having “extra money to spend,” but rather to having an amount of money at the end of one fiscal year that must be carried over for a specific purpose or service to be completed in the next.  Accurate numbers from a not-for-profit’s annual report cannot be extrapolated without understanding the specific restrictions placed upon their revenues and the continuity of such from one year to the next. Beware of simply derived dollar amounts, percentages, and interpretations—DSCC would be happy to provide accurate information and a copy of our most recent audit, prepared by Sikich LLP.  

4) It’s not about ideology—it’s about our mission and a growing senior population.
DSCC’s mission is to initiate, deliver, monitor and coordinate services that promote the ability of older people to live their lives in dignity. We envision DuPage County as one where no senior citizen goes hungry or faces isolation. For over 30 years, DSCC has worked within any given economic or political climate to provide the highest level of service to the most number of needy older adults possible and we are committed to continue to do so throughout any set of circumstances.

Lastly, I would like to remind you of the fact that the senior segment of our population is the fastest growing—within 10 years, one in five individuals will be over 60. DSCC hopes we can embrace and work through this challenge together to benefit all of our communities! 

In closing, I would like to thank you for vying for a position on the Downers Grove Village Council. It is without doubt one of the most difficult challenges to undertake during this difficult economic time in our country, our state, and the municipalities we live in. I applaud you all for your interest in community service. 

The very best to you all. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Sincerely, 

Marylin Krolak
Executive Director
DuPage Senior Citizens Council