What a wild ride 2023 has been already. My hope is that even as the community experienced record flooding, two evacuations of the Grey Bears campus and destruction of beloved businesses, homes and natural monuments, each of you is now safe and sound.
Despite our challenges, Grey Bears stepped up to provide meals to seniors and their families during a time of need. As we enter our 50th year of support to older adults in Santa Cruz County, we intend to chronicle our beginnings and critical milestones and celebrate the golden days as we concurrently reinvest and shape our future. Those with a keen eye will notice the updated 50th Anniversary logo at the top of the page, which will be used this year to mark this momentous achievement.
With the passage of time comes a desire to not only maintain older friendships but also kindle new ones. We’ll try new ways to connect seniors this year, including our unique take on speed-dating—or friending—for the 70-plus crowd in late March.
In other news, the Board of Directors recently allocated $100,000 to make much-needed deferred maintenance improvements to keep food operations and the thrift stores humming as we embark on plans for redeveloping the Chanticleer campus.
Finally, as we embark on the next 50 years, it’s a great time to remind friends of Grey Bears that our work can only be accomplished through the dedication of volunteers, staff and support from our community. Grey Bears has been blessed with all three.
—Jennifer Merchant, Grey Bears Executive Director
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