Good afternoon! There is only one meeting of note this week and it is the ACCOA board meeting tomorrow, Tuesday at 10:00am at the upper level of the senior center in Lincoln.
I know a lot of people that have questions about the ACCOA and what is going on. I can say that in the past two months, I have spoken to no less than six ex-employees who wanted to tell me their stories. (If you didn’t know, there are around 20 employees that have quit in the last couple of years. Every single one had only one reason they left.). Once people know you will listen, they want to tell you things.:) I have heard stories, and I will tell you these are not third-hand, or, “I heard this…” or “someone told me that…” stories. These are stories from people that have worked at the ACCOA and have been mistreated, told they were incompetent, promised raises and then been told, ‘I never said that’. They have been told to do jobs they were not hired for, and told to not form relationships with seniors and not to chit-chat with them. They have been told not to speak to the board. Previously, these people had tried over the last couple of years to talk to board members about the issues, to no avail. So they left. Driven from jobs they loved and wanted. And it’s heartbreaking. These people are angry and sad and are disgusted at how the senior center had deteriorated over the past few years. They remember a place where seniors wanted to come and socialize, where the food was actually cooked instead of from an open can and heated. They remember when there was a waiting list for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. And I believe them. I don’t believe they are lazy, disgruntled employees. Well, I take that back…they may be disgruntled but there is a reason. The people who worked at the ACCOA are our neighbors and we owe them a voice that has been silenced for the last few years. That is why I ask that you come to the ACCOA meeting and see what your board has been up to. The board represents us, the community, and if they are finished doing so, then we need to let them know how we feel about that.
Aside from the personal aspect, there are a couple of business items I’d like to pass along. This $12.5 million grant is called a workforce grant. The definition of a workforce grant is this:
Grants to assist veterans, youth, displaced workers, and immigrants to enter, remain and advance in the workplace. Find grants to provide programs for career education, career training, solve workforce shortage, promote workforce health and workforce development grants.
If you’d like to see for yourself, the link follows:
So the grant we were given for this low-income housing, affordable housing, community hub, (the name changes all the time) is really NOT for a senior center. It’s for…read that again…..veterans, youth, displaced workers and immigrants. I have come across several different mission statements now for the ACCOA and none match what is actually in the by-laws. And the most disturbing one states that the ACCOA’s mission is for the community. Which to me says, not for seniors.
Last week, a friend went to the Alpena senior center for lunch and sent me a photo. There was no comparison to what is given to our seniors. And I can compare because I had dinner at the ACCOA a few weeks ago. Disappointment in the quality of what I received is an understatement. I give kudos to the kitchen staff who are only able to serve what they are given. But, why can’t the ACCOA spend more money on food instead of ordering the cheapest and most nutrient-devoid food from the cheapest sources. I am sure there is money somewhere for this! Why can’t they actually cook food for the seniors in the kitchen?
I want YOU to know these things, because I know these things. And if you don’t know these things, you won’t understand why it’s important to show up. There are many other things that may be coming to light tomorrow. This is just the tip of the iceberg. So thanks for reading. And thank you for showing up. Our fellow community members need us. 🙂
Patriotically yours,
Lisa
If you can’t get them to see the light, make them feel the heat. – Ronald Reagan
