50th Anniversary Celebration
Marion Senior Services Celebrates 50 years of service in Marion County.
Thank you to those who celebrated 50 years with us last month. The outpour of love and support that was in the room is such a testament to the community that we are so fortunate to be a part of. The work of our mission is only made possible by the generosity and compassion of those who support us, and for that, we cannot thank you enough!
Thank you to Tom James, Commissioner Craig Curry, Dr. Hank Harrell, AARP Florida's Jeff Johnson, Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Michelle Branham, United Way of Marion County's Bob Haight, our Staff, Volunteers, and everyone who made this night so incredibly special.
Thank you to our sponsors, and partners who made this night possible. Did you miss it? Check out our photo gallery, watch our video recap, and learn more about our sponsors HERE.
Marion Senior Services | Fall Festival
Marion Senior Services Fall Festival
Last month we hosted our Fall Festival, in conjunction with our commodities program. Through our commodities program, clients receive 9 shelf-stable items monthly. Yesterday, as clients arrived to pick up their items, they were greeted by a number of vendors sharing helpful resources, and information.
Thank you to all of our participating vendors, and the volunteers and staff who made this event possible!
Letter from the Executive Director
Letter from the Executive Director
With an immensely grateful heart, I say thank you for supporting Marion Senior Services and Give4Marion. With your support, we were able to raise almost $7,000 more than last year and some of you indicated that you have never given or have heard of MSS prior to this campaign! I also say thank you for supporting our community, as the entire campaign raised over $1.4 million for over 100 local non-profits. The Community Foundation established this campaign during the pandemic to support our non-profits and this year, we surpassed all of our previous years combined.
In a world that seems to want to constantly divide us, our community proved we are stronger together with an overwhelming show of love for each other. For 50 years, many of our leadership has shared the starfish story and I will share it with you…
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled, and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
We all have the opportunity to help create positive change. YOU did that by choosing to support Marion Senior Services and I am extremely grateful.
Executive Director, Jennifer Martinez
GIVE4MARION
Give4Marion update
WOW! Thank you! Marion Senior Services raised over $17,000 during September’s Give4Marion 33-hour Giving Day Campaign.
We as an organization are so grateful for this beautiful and generous community that we have the privilege of calling home. Grateful for the opportunity to make an impact, by serving those in need.
Because of your support and generosity, Marion Senior Services was able to raise $17,870!!! We are grateful to all of our generous donors. One of them was an anonymous donor who did a dollar-for-dollar match. They donated $1,500 in honor and loving memory of their grandparents, Samuel and Leona Goldstein. This donation will be used to benefit our Meals on Wheels Program. This donor believes that their grandparents would have been able to maintain their independence longer, had they been able to receive the type of assistance that Meals on Wheels provides. The match was met within two hours of being posted!
Not only was Marion Senior Services able to raise a significant amount of funding, but the community as a whole raised 1.4 MILLION DOLLARS, to support over 100 non-profits. These funds will have an incredible and lasting impact on our most vulnerable populations.
Shout out to the Community Foundation Ocala Marion County. Ashley and Lauren knocked it out of the park. It's because of your tireless efforts that this campaign has continued to grow, and change lives throughout Marion County. Keep up the great work! We can't wait for next year!!
