Uncovering critical senior needs in South Carolina

With the number of Richland County residents who are 65 and over projected to grow three times faster than the overall county population in the coming decade,^footnote1 the need for the agency’s services will remain high. Senior Resources has already faced waiting lists for Meals on Wheels deliveries. What’s more, skyrocketing demand for services during the pandemic helped Senior Resources identify longer-term challenges and wider community needs. “This situation opened our eyes to the fact that senior nutrition and well-being was much more of a crisis than we were previously aware,” says Boozer. “We now have data points on which ZIP codes need our services the most, and those ZIP codes really overlay with the economic and racial divide that exists in our city.”

As a result, Senior Resources has worked with local leaders to help alleviate hunger in previously neglected areas. Private sector support helped the group move quickly and build something critical for success in these neighborhoods: trust. As Boozer puts it: “The contributions from Bank of America and others have helped validate what we do in our communities.”

The support for Senior Resources is an example of how, from entrepreneur funding and expanding homeownership to professional skills training and healthcare access, Bank of America continues to partner with innovative leaders to help communities implement solutions to society’s important challenges.