Tioga County Senior Citizens Foundation was established in 1982 with funds from the sale of the Owego Home for Aged Women. The home provided care for older women for decades on Front Street in Owego, NY.

The goal of this charitable foundation is to enhance the quality of life of senior citizens living in Tioga County, New York. This is accomplished through grants awarded to agencies that provide support for the needs, interests, safety and comfort of the county’s senior population. Since 1982, a total of $1,465,827 has been awarded to grant requestors. Typically, grant awards are made to those applicants providing direct services to senior citizens. For example, over the last 10 years Senior Citizens Foundation has contributed $85,420 to the libraries in Tioga County to support librarians’ requests for items such as large print books and books on CD. Senior Citizens Foundation also gladly supports the requests of the eleven senior citizen clubs located in Tioga County. These clubs often become the main link to other people and services for our many aging citizens. Since the year 2000, Senior Citizens Foundation has put $86,300 into the activities of the senior citizen clubs found throughout Tioga County.

In the past decade, $16,000 has been donated to The Open Door Mission in addition to the $65,000 to The Rural Ministry. These organizations attempt to work together to help with such requests as providing food donations for needy senior citizens, helping provide prescription medicines, fuel or home repairs in emergency situations.

Senior Citizens Foundation is a regular supporter for the requests of the Tioga Opportunities Inc. (TOI) Department of Aging. Grant donations provide support for seniors’ safety with Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and for seniors’ well being by providing funding for entertainment and social activities at the community meal site. TOI also requests and receives great amounts of funding each year to support the very worthy food pantry locations and the soup kitchens in Tioga County. During the last 10-year period, the Foundation also donated over $79,000 to the Southern Tier Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Tioga County Council on the Arts is another regular recipient of Tioga County Senior Citizens Foundation funding. Each year, the Council on the Arts requests assistance in providing the Always of Sunday programs, frequented most often by the senior population, and assistance for the publication and distribution of the “Focus” newsletter. Just since the year 2000, the senior population has benefited from a total investment of $25,500 in Tioga County Council on the Arts programs.

Community Care Network of Nichols and the more recently established Northern Tioga Neighbors Network also have been recipients of Senior Citizens Foundation donations. Community Care Network of Nichols first requested support in 2003. Since that time, $31,550 has been put to work for the benefit of the citizens in the Nichols, NY area. Modeled after that organization, the Northern Tioga Neighbors Network has received $4,500 in support in just the last two years and is attempting to expand efforts to serve a larger population.