Founded in 1971, Spectrum has operated in Alameda County for 45 years, smartly expanding and diversifying its programs over the years while continuing to serve the lowest-income, most vulnerable populations in the County. Spectrum’s programs developed in response to real needs in Alameda County’s community. Spectrum Community Services is a registered, public non-profit organization that assists low-income and disadvantaged individuals, families, and seniors in their efforts to live independently.
Spectrum’s mission is to improve the health and safety of older adults and low-income residents in Alameda County by enhancing their quality of life and helping them age at home with dignity. During the 2015/16 Fiscal Year, we served over 14,000 seniors and low-income residents in Alameda County through our programs. Nearly all of our clients meet the Department of Health and Human Services’; (DHS) federal income guidelines for being low and extremely low-income and, if they are elderly, live below the Elder Economic Security Index for Alameda County, which measures the cost of older adults’ basic expenses, such as housing, food, medical care, and transportation. Our project goal is to help older adults in the Eden Area thrive through social interaction and nutritious meals. We serve primarily low-income seniors in need with nourishing meals in social settings to help them live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
Our goal for the 2017 Year is to increase the number of meals we serve in the Eden Area by 5% and increase the number of seniors we serve by 3%. We are seeking this one-year grant to help us subsidize the cost of meals for the 2017. We believe that serving nutritious meals every day to food-insecure seniors is a vital service and we want to continue to provide well-balanced, high quality meals in the coming years.