Council on Aging addresses Berwick town council meeting

In spite of the financial crisis the state is undergoing, for 47 years the St. Mary Council on Aging continues to figure out ways to take care of the seniors in this parish, St. Mary Council on Aging Executive Director Beverly Domengeaux said at Berwick’s City Council meeting Tuesday.

“I’m sure you all are aware of what’s going on in Baton Rouge and there’s panic,” Domengeaux said. “I’m here to relieve that panic.”

After conducting research going back 47 years, it was discovered the St. Mary Council on Aging was one of the first agencies to have its funding cut, Domengeaux said.

“But we managed and we’re still here,” she said.

However, the organization received shocking news for next year’s budget.

Sixty-four percent of its budget for 2017 will be cut, Domengeaux said. And , all of the senior center money will be cut.

The organization has done a lot of traveling back and forth to Baton Rouge.

“I even testified before a couple of the committees,” Domengeaux said.

Last week, the council took a busload of 45 seniors to Baton Rouge to speak with the governor.

“They did an excellent job,” Domengeaux said. “They had very good questions.”

State Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, and speaker of the house Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, met with the seniors during the visit.

Allain provided a room for the seniors to watch the proceedings.

“You could tell they (seniors) were very impressed,” Domengeaux said.

Domengeaux’s message to the state “is budgets are budgets but people and the state of Louisiana, right now, need to come back to what we used to be,” she said. “And we’re all willing to do our share.”

Domengeaux and the council’s board continue to come up with ways to financially sustain the organization through grant writing.

The organization seeks funding from private foundations focusing on people programs.

“I’ve been writing grants at 3 o’clock, 4 o’clock, 5 o’clock in the morning,” Domengeaux said. “I’ve been very successful.

“So, I wanted to let you know that we are not cutting any services for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

But the waiting list for seniors will remain. It is currently the longest waiting list the organization has ever had.

The organization will continue to take the initiative in caring for St. Mary Parish seniors.

“For 2017, I’m still writing grants,” she said. “And I’m hoping that we get sponsorships and we’ll keep on going.”

With the organization’s ability to be resourceful securing funding for programs, Domengeaux wants the mayor and city council leaders to be mindful of the growing senior population in Berwick and making provision for it.

“I’m going to say this with a smile on my face,” Domengeaux said. “As we get older, we might want the leaders to start thinking now so there will be something for us when we get older.”

According to the statistics provided, there are 791 citizens over the age of 60 in the township of Berwick. Within the next two years, an additional 215 citizens will be over 60.

“So, you’re looking at a big senior population,” Domengeaux said.

Lastly, Domengeaux addressed the council with long-term care concerns for seniors, such as Medicare, senior programs, senior hunger, and social security.

In other news, the council approved an ordinance to amend and reenact Chapter 17, Article 2, Sec. 17-36(4) e, which provides placement of a pond 25 feet from adjacent property. This applies to all properties located within the Town of Berwick.