MISSION

We build vibrant communities by advancing wellness, connection, and enrichment throughout the journey of aging.

VISION

Our vision for Southwest Florida is for people to feel supported and included at any age. Each of our communities will have a well-known hub and network of resources to help older adults not just survive but thrive! Seniors will be seen as vital contributors to community life and have connections that ensure they never need to “go it alone.”

THE POWER OF CONNECTION

When he founded Senior Friendship Centers in 1973, Brother William Geenen, famously said that “isolation and loneliness are the malnutrition of aging.” In Sarasota County alone, more than 40,000 seniors, or about 23% of the population, live alone.

As a nonprofit organization serving older adults in four counties in Southwest Florida, Senior Friendship Centers is THE safety net for close to 10,000 seniors, providing programs and services such as caregiving resources, adult day services, dining centers, home-delivered meals, exercise classes, lifelong learning, economic assistance, socialization, friendly visitors, and more. The support of generous community partners, agencies and donors enables us to help more seniors in need.

As an organization, our goals are to:

• Empower older adults to live active, healthy lives to improve all aspects of health.
• Promote good nutrition and physical activity to maintain healthy lifestyles.
• Provide crisis/supportive intervention and help promote financial stability through education and community resources.
• Allow older people to maintain their independence and live in their own homes for as long as possible.
• Prevent the harmful effects of isolation, which include loneliness, depression, poor health, and more.

A belief in “People Helping People,” has been the foundation of Senior Friendship Centers for more than four decades. Volunteers serve in nearly every facet of the organization. Our award-winning programs and services are considered nationwide models for the health and wellness of older adults.

Senior Friendship Centers supports seniors in Sarasota, Lee, DeSoto and Charlotte Counties. For more information on how you can help local seniors, visit our Giving page.

OUR CORE VALUES

Respect: for the feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions of the people we serve and work with.

Compassion: We care deeply about the well-being of everyone we interact with which is why we love what we do.

Integrity: means being truthful and honest in all areas of life, in our professional work, and our personal lives. We are united, and when faced with difficult decisions and hard choices, we are committed to doing what’s right, even in the face of adversity.  

Collaboration: Working together with staff, volunteers, and external partners enables us to create and achieve our goals. People helping people is the core of our foundation and we know that supporting each other is how we will continue to support our communities.