HSRC program updates for the week of April 22 are as follows.

• Administrative services and main phone line:  The main administration building at 1910 California Street is open regular hours — 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday.
• Activities Program:  See the Calendar for current activities schedules. Contact the Senior Services Office at 707-443-9747, ext. 1240 for more info, or watch our website and Facebook page for updates. Please call us if you need information about Dial-a-Ride tickets.
• Adult Day Health & Alzheimer’s Services:  New referrals are welcome.
• Behavioral Health Services is now accepting referrals.
• Housing & Community Resources Assistance is available to help with general questions and for those at risk of losing shelter and info regarding housing options.  Ask for ext. 1254.
• MSSP (Multipurpose Senior Services Program):  The MSSP service area now includes all areas in Humboldt County. New referrals are accepted.
• Redwood Coast PACE: New referrals are accepted.
• Redwood Coast Village:  Redwood Coast Village has joined the HSRC family of programs.  Members — and those wishing to become a member — can call HSRC directly at 707-443-9747 for assistance, or click on the Redwood Coast Village program link at humsenior.org. New volunteers are also welcome.
• Senior News:  Publishing monthly; staff are available by phone.  The April 2024 issue can be found at community distribution sites as noted here.  You’ll also find the April issue online here.  If you want Senior News delivered directly to your home, please consider a 1-year subscription for $36.  Call 707-443-9747 for more info or to subscribe.
• Nutrition Programs:  See below for each Heritage Café site’s schedule.  Reservations are required for both in-person dining and drive-through pick-up meals, preferably 7 days in advance. For those 60 and older, the suggested contribution is $3.50 per meal, but no one will be denied a meal if unable to contribute. Menus can be found here.
  • Arcata Heritage Café (707-825-2027): Open Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 am to 1 pm
  • *Eureka Heritage Café (707-443-9747):  Open Monday-Thursday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
  • *Fortuna Heritage Café (707-725-6245): Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 12 noon to 12:30 pm
  • McKinleyville Grab-n’-Go drive-through meal pick-up (707-496-7036):   Tuesdays from 11:30 am to 12 noon at the McKinleyville Senior Center on Pickett Road
  • Rio Dell Grab-n’-Go drive-through meal pick-up (707-496-7036):  Fridays from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm at the Volunteer Fire Hall at 50 Center Street
  • Trinidad Grab-n’-Go drive-through meal pick-up (707-496-7036): At the Cher-Ae Heights parking lot on Thursdays from 11:30 am – 12 noon

For those receiving deliveries from Meals on Wheels Redwood Coast,  the schedule will match the Heritage Café hours in your community; McKinleyville deliveries will follow the Arcata schedule.

*Please note that as of March 1, pick-up meal service at HSRC Heritage Cafés in Eureka and Fortuna ended.  Those who used this service are encouraged to dine in at Heritage Café per the schedules detailed above.  Please also note that the Fortuna Heritage Café is now open on Fridays for in-person dining. Those not able to dine in are encouraged to utilize one of the other HSRC senior dining options.  If homebound, Meals on Wheels Redwood Coast may be an option. If ineligible for Meals on Wheels, but unable to dine in, each Heritage Café will now offer Heritage To Go meals.  This option is only available to those who must rely on others for transportation and can’t utilize any other HSRC senior nutrition program option. Contact the site coordinator of the Heritage Café in your area to determine which meal service option is right for you.

HSRC also has a variety of  clinical and operations  job openings in numerous programs including Administration, Nutrition, Redwood Coast PACE, and Transportation.  Click here for details.

For questions regarding any program, call HSRC at 707-443-9747 or email us at info@humsenior.org .

Did you know that you can now donate your recycling proceeds to HSRC?

Bring your clean California CRV beverage containers to either the Arcata or Fortuna Hambro Recycling location and drop your money in the Humboldt Senior Resource Center donation box.  Now taking wine, liquor, and juice bottles for CRV redemption.  They are even now accepting wine boxes!

The HSRC donation boxes will be available until July.  Please tell all your friends!   For more information about Hambro locations and the details of what is accepted for redemption, see the Hambro website at www.hambrocrvbuyback.com.

As of March 1^st, the Connect and Carry Out program, which provides pick-up meals at our Eureka and Fortuna Heritage Café locations, will end.  We will continue to serve lunch at our Eureka Heritage Café location Monday through Thursday.  The Fortuna Heritage Café will add lunch service in the café on Fridays starting March 1^st.

While we know this change will impact many who utilize the Connect and Carry Out program, we provide four other meal service options intended to meet most eligible participants’ needs:

• For those age 60 and older who are able to enjoy meals at one of our three Heritage Café locations (see here) we suggest dining in. Our café locations are a great place to enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal. We offer a choice of traditional or vegetarian meals and our Eureka Café also offers a build-your-own salad bar.
• For those who are age 60 and over and homebound, we suggest contacting the Heritage Café Coordinator in your area to see if Meals on Wheels Redwood Coast is the right fit for you.  This program provides meals that are delivered to homes by friendly, courteous drivers who also provide a wellness check.  See here for more info.
• For those 60 and older who are unable to dine in or are eligible for Meals on Wheels but live outside our delivery area, each of our three Heritage Café locations will now offer new Heritage To Go meals.  This program serves seniors who rely on others for transportation and are unable to utilize our other senior nutrition options.
• Our Pop-Up Heritage Café program will still offer weekly meal pick ups in McKinleyville, Rio Dell and Trinidad.   Reservations are requested one week in advance; schedules can be found here.

Please reach out to the Heritage Café Coordinator in your area to determine which meal service option is right for you. For general Senior Nutrition Program information, please call 707-443-9747 or visit humsenior.org.

Humboldt Senior Resource Center (HSRC) and Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Social Work graduate students are looking for participants for a study examining factors contributing to social isolation and loneliness in the aging community in Humboldt County.

Study participants should:

• Be age 60+ or age 21+ and working in aging services
• Reside within Humboldt County
• Be willing to participate in an in-depth, hour-long interview with a member of the research team

The study team hopes to include a diversity of perspectives and experiences for this study, and seek 50 participants of all genders, ethnicities and socioeconomic status. By taking part in this study, participants can help provide a better understanding of the experiences, needs and aspirations of older adults living in Humboldt County.

Flyers can be found in English and Spanish here.

To participate, contact Samantha Day, HSRC Director of Social Services, at 707-443-9747 ext 1259 or sday@humsenior.org.

There is no charge to have your basic state and federal income tax return prepared and electronically filed by the Volunteer Tax Assistance program (VITA) in 2024. VITA has provided this service at sites across the country for over 50 years. It is provided to help qualified taxpayers get all the deductions and credits that are available to them.

IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers will start working with low- to moderate-income individuals and families by appointment only beginning in February at Humboldt Senior Resource Center (HSRC), 1910 California St., Eureka, and the Salvation Army, 2123 Tydd St., Eureka.

The program is for individuals of all ages filing basic tax returns and who have less than $70,000 annual income and no rental property or digital currency. Those who are self-employed are accepted as long as the business does not have paid employees, inventory or depreciation, and does not operate at a net loss. Those with farm income or married filing separate returns are not accepted.

 Appointments are being accepted now for meetings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Tuesday, Feb. 6, through Tuesday, April 16. Call 707-443-9747 x1270 for an appointment.  You must bring to your appointment a picture ID and a Social Security card or other government document bearing the name and Social Security number or ITIN for everyone on the tax return.

We invite you to review HSRC’s 2022-23 Impact Report to learn firsthand from our participants why they appreciate and value the services and programs we provide.  HSRC is grateful for the support of our donors and area partners that help us to fulfill our mission of ensuring that older adults in our community are as healthy and independent as possible.

Click here to view the 2022-23 HSRC Impact Report.  Links to annual reports and other financial information from prior fiscal years can be found here.

If you would like to receive a hardcopy of the 2022-23 Impact Report, call 707-443-9747 x1292 or email give@humsenior.org.

During this season of thanks, HSRC is thankful for the recent $1000 grant from Tri Counties Bank in support of our Senior Home Repair Program.  We are pleased to be part of Tri Counties’ Community Reinvestment Act.  These funds will help older adults to remain safe and healthy in their own homes. In the photo above, Monica Gray, Tri Counties Bank branch manager, presented the check to Rachael Sovereign,  HSRC’s director of operations.

Through HSRC’s Senior Home Repair program, adults age 60 and older can receive help with simple home repairs and home modifications with a total cost of $300 or less.  Often, these simple repairs are enough to address safety and maintenance issues that allow program participants to age in place.

For more information about Senior Home Repair, call HSRC at 707-443-9747. or email info@humsenior.org.