50+ Lifestyles

Another Year. Another Blessing.

By Laura L. Kopp, MS
CASI President/CEO

“New year. New you.” Don’t you hate that saying? I do. What’s wrong with the “old” me? Did she fail in some way? Was she broken and needed to be replaced? I think not. This year, I prefer “Another year. Another blessing.”

Here at CASI, we have honed the practice of counting our blessings. Having been closed for an entire year due to COVID, we are acutely aware of how blessed we are to see another year. Another year serving and supporting area seniors as they continue to navigate a global pandemic that served as the world’s worst senior health crisis in modern times.

Our blessings came in many different sizes this year. Our reopening being the largest gift we received of course, but there were many, many smaller but mightier mission related gifts as well. Our funders stood shoulder to shoulder with us as we reallocated funding from all programs to our Senior Advocacy program, which served as the community’s senior emergency response to COVID. The CASI team, although the organization was closed, helped close to 4,000 area seniors access the lifesaving COVID vaccine. Our Senior Advocates developed a small home delivered meal program to serve seniors isolated in their homes during the early days of the pandemic and following the devastating derecho that left many seniors stranded in multi-level buildings with no electricity and no elevators.

Our team helped thousands of seniors navigate a literal virtual reality. Ensuring they could access virtual doctor’s appointments, order prescriptions online and secure nutritious food through online shopping. For many of our seniors, these were skills they had never needed before.

Having reopened in March 2021, our blessings have continued to be abundant. We have welcomed back our staff, members and guests and we have provided critical supports and services to seniors who have seen the worst of this pandemic. And our future is bright. Below is a short list of the exciting things happening at CASI this year:

• Free membership through June 2022
• CASI Couch to 5k training program-January-March (includes free registration to the 2022 race)
• 40th Anniversary CASI St. Patrick’s Day Race-March 12, 2022
• Inaugural CASI Golf Outing-May 13, 2022
• Rock the Lot-July 16, 2022

And there’s so much more! We have several new team members who have brought new perspective, new ideas and new activities to the center. Like our Drums Alive! Class or our new Chair Yoga class. But don’t take my word for it. Stop by! Drop in any day during the week between 8:30 and 4 and see what a blessing CASI could be for you!

Laura L. Kopp, MS is President/CEO of CASI, located at 1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA 52806. For information call (563) 386.7477 or email info@CASIseniors.org.