History of Senior Services of Central Illinois

The United Community Services Planning Division of United Way began a study in 1957 of seniors who were not institutionalized. They discovered many problems regarding aging and therefore, in 1963, compiled a nineteen-page report about a plan for a Senior Citizen’s Center. The plan was then presented to the Delegate Assembly of United Way, but no funding was available. It was not until the Older Americans Act was passed in 1965 that funds became readily available to set this plan in motion. In 1966 a committee became incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and was named the Board of Directors for the Senior Citizen’s Center. They began applying for grants from federal and state entities. Sangamon County’s first Senior Citizens’ Center, which was located at 1315 South Eighth Street in Springfield, opened in April 1967. The building, which had formally been the Little Red Schoolhouse, was remodeled and named The White Cottage. Mrs. Margaret Summers was named the Executive Director. The center’s hours of operation were 9 am until 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

The Center first offered seniors the opportunity to participate in activities and fellowship. It was not until 1969 that counselors were added to the staff and the Center was accepted into United Way as a funded agency. In 1971 the Center teamed up with Sangamon State University to implement an applied study program and in 1972, nine years after moving into The White Cottage, the addition of staff members brought about the need to search for a more adequate facility. On September 1st, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program was implemented and housed out of the Red Cross building. The Daily Bread Program began serving a mid-day meal to seniors who came to the facility in 1973. February 4, 1974, marked the addition of the Senior Transport Program and five more staff members. Director Summers voiced the need for a facility that would more adequately house the staff and seniors of the Center for 15 to 20 years. The building was ripping at the seams. On May 7, 1975, the City Council put on file an ordinance allocating federal revenue sharing funds in the sum of $300,000 for a Senior Citizens’ Center in Douglas Park. For the first time all four programs would be housed under the same roof (Counseling, Daily Bread, RSVP and Senior Transport). The new Senior Citizens’ Center opened on May 15, 1976, at 701 West Mason Street in Springfield.

During 1976 the agency underwent reorganization and incorporated under the name of Senior Citizens of Sangamon County, Inc. (SCSC). In 1980 a Senior Citizens’ Alcohol Prevention Interactive Program was added. The solar greenhouse was built in October of that year. After only a short bout the Alcohol Prevention program was disassembled in l981. The Community Care and Referral programs were then added in February 1982. It was in January of 1983 that the Case Management and Community Care Program were combined into a Case Coordination Unit. Meanwhile, in hopes to continue to help offset funding sources as the agency grew, the Center added fund-raisers such as a gift shop, rummage sales and an auction.

Mrs. Margaret Summers remained the Executive Director of Senior Citizens of Sangamon County, Inc. until 1987, celebrating 20 years of service with the agency (December 1, 1966-1987). The Center at this time served approximately 8,000 seniors. Over two decades Mrs. Summers witnessed the agency changing drastically. SCSC began to concentrate their focus on service-orientation—providing basic services more than just a place to gather and play pool and cards (although we still do that!). The following services were provided in 1987: Counseling, Outreach, Escort Services, Leisure Time Activities, Health Screenings, Transportation and Information and Referrals. The mission of the agency was to help older adults find outlets at minimal expense through the Center enabling themselves to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. (Virginia Wheeling took the position as Executive Director after Margaret Summers, from June 20, 1988, until 1998?).

During the late 1980’s due to the tremendous growth of the agency, the Fiscal Director position was added to keep track of the finances of the programs. The Elder Abuse and Neglect program was then added in 1990. All the programs continued to grow and began to expand into a four-county area—Sangamon, Logan, Mason, and Menard. The Center continued to search for avenues to obtain unrestricted funds by adding fund-raisers such as the Mature Mob theatrical production. Senior Citizens of Sangamon County, Inc. underwent another change in 1997 and became known as Senior Services of Central Illinois, Inc. to reflect the areas they were serving more accurately.

In May 2003, a 2000 square foot addition to the Springfield Senior Center building provided additional space for Information & Assistance, conference rooms of various sizes and a wonderful new computer lab. The Case Coordination Unit staff moved from 701 West Mason to roomier office space in Sangamon Towers at 424 North Fourth Street in Springfield. As service needs increased, so did the number of staff.

Senior Services of Central Illinois is a not-for-profit corporation specializing in non-medical services to seniors who are age 50 and older in Sangamon, Logan, Mason, and Menard counties and is partially funded by federal, state, and local dollars. The Center’s operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.

In 2012 SSCI’s core programs consisted of the Case Coordination Unit (Comprehensive Care Coordination, Information & Assistance, Senior Health Assistance Program, Choices for Care Prescreening, Money Management, Crime Victim/Witness Assistance Program, Elder Abuse and Neglect), Daily Bread Nutrition Program, Elder Assistance Services, RSVP, Senior Transport, and Springfield Senior Center. In the first six months of 2012, staff and volunteers undertook a “revitalization” project to utilize the current space in the most efficient manner for the senior clients as well as to spruce up the facility on a bare bones budget.

Effective July 1, 2013, due to federally and state-mandated changes, the Elder Abuse Program became the Adult Protective Services Program and is required to investigate abuse to adults 18+ with disabilities who are living in their own homes as well as seniors who are living independently; the Senior Transport program will remain but will become a part of an overall Transportation Program that is made up of Sangamon-Menard Regional Transit Services, Senior Transport Program and contractual services for the Addus Adult Day Service clients; and the Comprehensive Care Coordination Program (formerly the Community Care Program) is undergoing extensive changes due to the Affordable Care Act and will be working contractually with managed care health insurance companies.

Two other important additions in 2013 include the partnership between the Springfield Park District and SSCI to bring the Illinois Senior Olympics to be administered by SSCI beginning in October 2013; and a new partnership with St. John’s Hospital will be bringing a much needed and anticipated behavioral health clinic pilot program to be housed at SSCI beginning in the Fall/Winter of 2013.

Headquartered at 701 West Mason in Springfield, SSCI employs more than seventy-five employees and the Center itself serves an average of over two hundred seniors per day. We also have two satellite offices located in Springfield (424 North Fourth Street) and Petersburg (having closed a Lincoln, Illinois office in 2009 due to budget cuts). Growing pains are looking for the agency straight in the face as we begin the major demographic shift in the number of people who are age 50+. The two thousand square foot addition to the main building (in 2003) plus the addition of office space at the Sangamon Towers on North Fourth Street in Springfield have been a wonderful boost to our ability to serve seniors, however, office space and activity space both still seem to be needed. A space needs assessment was completed in August 2006 and called for the addition of almost 13,000 square feet (doubling our current space) within the next ten to fifteen years. Unfortunately, the economic status of the state and the economy in general stopped any expansion plans at this time.

The management and Board were proactive in 2009, seeing the inevitable economic challenges that the agency would face with the drastically delayed payments from the State as well as grant cuts, etc. Severe cuts were put into place including the eventual cut of twenty-three positions, closing the doors of the Center one day a week for a period of time and requiring all staff to take furlough days once a month, resulting overall in an almost $1 million dollar cut in the agency budget. Fortunately, in 2012 we began to see the turn around and the positive effects of the budget cuts and the fiscal year 2014 agency budget is projected at more than $4 Million!

A voluntary 24-member Board of Directors governs this corporation. They work closely with SSCI’s management and staff to promote and expand the comprehensive services offered at the Center. Karen Schainker has held the position of Executive Director since 2001. Ms. Schainker along with the management team is dedicated to the mission of specializing in quality-of-life services. This entire staff deeply cares and strives to make a difference in the lives of older adults. Together the Board, management, and staff touch the lives of over 40,000 individuals a year.

Fast Forward to 2024, Karen Schainker retired in 2018. Carol Harms has held the Executive Director position since March of 2018.

SSCI’s core programs consist of the Care Coordination Unit (CCU), Comprehensive Care Coordination Program, Choices for Care, Adult Protective Services Program, Information and Assistance Program, Senior Health Assistance Program (SHAP), Volunteer Money Management Program, Caregiver Specialist, Elder Assistance Services, Daily Bread, Springfield Specialty Meals on Wheels, Senior Transportation, Foster Grandparent Program (2024), Activities and Programs at “The Center”, Trips & Travel Opportunities, and Illinois Senior Games (Name changed from Illinois Senior Olympics to Illinois Senior Games in 2024).

Evidenced Based Programs consist of the Aging Mastery Program, Bingocize, A Matter of Balance and Savvy Caregiver.

SSCI’s primary location for services is still 701 West Mason in Springfield. We have approximately eighty-two team members. Due to the number of staff and building space, the Administration team moved out of “The Center” in 2019. We were renting space from SIU on the same property as “The Center,” but in 2022 SIU did not renew SSCI’s rental agreement. As of 2022, the Administration team and Senior Transportation are working from an office space at 500 West Monroe Street, Springfield, IL.

SSCI has been in communication with SIU School of Medicine about relocating back into the rental space as a renter or owner of the space across the parking lot from “The Center.” This move is contingent on SIU completing new building plans of their own.

SSCI has one satellite office in Petersburg, IL. Our Daily Bread Congregate sites are in Athens, Auburn (2024), Chatham, Greenview, Petersburg, Springfield, and Tallula.