Social Justice Charity Partner Selection 2019-2021
Collier Senior Resources
July 23, 2018
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples
6340 Napa Woods Way
Naples, FL 34116
Dear UUCGN Social Justice Committee:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Collier Senior Resources (CSR), a 501 (c) (3)
nonprofit organization, the Golden Gate Senior Center (GGSC) and the clients we
serve, we are submitting a grant application for consideration by the Unitarian
Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples.
In 2010, Collier Senior Resources was founded by the Community Foundation of
Collier County who determined that low-income seniors were at great risk. CSR’s
mission is to provide comprehensive information regarding services and resources that
affect the quality of life of older adults and their caregivers in Collier County,
empowering them to maintain independent and meaningful lives.
Opening in November 2014, the Golden Gate Senior Center has been providing a
daily hot lunch program through the Collier County Nutrition program, weekly food
pantry with Meals of Hope, and job placement for low-income seniors through the
AARP Foundation, along with many other programs and services working with a
variety of community agencies. Since its opening, the Senior Center has already
transformed the lives of over 1,350 seniors who are proud members of the senior
center—at no charge to the senior.
As a growing Senior Center, we hope to continue to address challenges that seniors
face in Collier County. Many of the seniors who visit the Center as well as those who
cannot visit because they are homebound and are too frail to leave their homes also do
not have enough money to maintain the cost of living nor can they afford a wide
variety of everyday items.
The Board of Directors of Collier Senior Resources recognizes that providing
financial assistance can dramatically improve the quality of life for low income
seniors, including those who are homebound. CSR wishes to address this need by
providing crisis assistance to 80 - 160 low-income elderly Collier County residents.
We are requesting $25,000 from the UUCGN to support this program from May 2019
– May 2022. In summary, we believe our project proposal is consistent with the
UUCGN Social Justice Committee’s mission and we appreciate your committee’s
consideration of our proposal. We look forward to ongoing partnership with the
UUCGN and our community partners to effectively serve seniors and their caregivers
in Collier County.
If you have any questions regarding CSR, the GGSC, or the proposal, please contact
me at 239-252-4534.
Sincerely,
Tatiana Fortune, M.S.W
Senior Center Director