LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville community resource that has been around for decades is pausing its activities due to financial difficulties.
ElderServe, which has provided care to Louisville's senior population since 1962, announced that it would temporarily stop operations and "regroup." A statement on the organization's website said the coronavirus pandemic paired with the "changing philanthropic landscape" put the nonprofit in a place where it could no longer continue serving the community.
Last year, the organization focused its operations in the Russell neighborhood. For years, seniors visited the Oak & Acorn center on 28th and Magazine for daily social activities and resources, according to the nonprofit.
Frank Pilgrim, who lives in the Russell neighborhood, said he is concerned that the center's sudden closing will have a ripple effect.
He lives across the street from the center and said he counts on ElderServe's food pantry for groceries at least twice a month. Many other seniors count on the center for professional care and companionship specifically designed for them.
"There are a lot of senior citizens like me who need this place," Pilgrim said. "My health is bad, so I'm not able to go anywhere else. I depend on this."
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Ultimately, Pilgrim said seniors weren't given notice before the shutdown, so the announcement came as a shock.
"We just don't understand, we need some answers," he said.
According to its website, ElderServe focuses on four elements of care: overcoming social isolation, promoting wellness, supporting independence and protecting seniors.
Neighbors, like retired judge and prosecutor Toni Stringer, said there's not another comparable service nearby, so its absence will leave a major void in the community.
"All the west Louisville residents who are affected see is yet another service that was provided to this area being taken away without anything to replace it," Stringer said. "This wasn't just brick and mortar, this was family for a lot of people. While they're figuring out what they're going to do, what are the former clients supposed to do? Who are they going to turn to now?"
Patty Belden, ElderServe CEO, said in a statement that it has been "nearly impossible" to get sustainable funding for the organization.
"We are an unrecognized asset to the Louisville healthcare ecosystem," Belden said in a statement. "It's my hope that the temporary absence of ElderServe programs will expose the critical need for these services and the responsibility of the community to support them."
Stringer and others in the community, like Kentucky State Representative Pamela Stevenson (D, District 43) say they want specifics on where things went wrong.
"We say it's money, and it could very well be, but why is it money? Did donations drop, did grants drop, what happened?" she said.
The nonprofit said all programs and services will end immediately, giving time for leaders to reevaluate the needs of Louisville's senior population. The statement on the organization's website says officials are working with other community partners to find alternatives for people currently dependent on their programming.
But for residents like Pilgrim, waiting may not be an option.
"Take it one day at a time. Trying to survive," he said.
A spokesperson for Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer's office said in a statement that they're concerned and are working "with supporters to see how the city can help."
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