Seniors get Neighborhood Reinvestment funds

The Fallbrook Senior Citizens Service Club was allocated $30,000 of District Five Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds during the Dec. 6 meeting of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The supervisors’ 5-0 vote approved the grant to help cover the costs of repairs and improvements to the food pantry, storage areas, thrift shop, and kitchen along with drywall, insulation, window exterior, stucco and trim, floor and floor tiles, plumbing, carpeting, and exterior landscaping improvements. The grant also allows for the purchase of furnishing and fixtures.

The Fallbrook Senior Citizens Service Club was founded in 1974 and has the purpose of improving the quality of life for senior citizens in Fallbrook, Rainbow, DeLuz, and Bonsall. It offers activities which encourage seniors to socialize and stay active both mentally and physically, serves as a gathering place for seniors who would otherwise be alone, and has been designated as a “cool zone” when relief from excessive heat is needed. The Fallbrook Senior Citizens Service Club has approximately 700 members, and the food pantry and thrift shop provide affordable goods to

the members.

The current building was constructed in 1987, and since then only minor improvements have been made. The building is in need of extensive repairs to remain safe for seniors.

Board of Supervisors approval is required to use grant funding for any purpose other than what was stipulated in the original grant, so the Dec. 6 vote also amended the purpose of the June 28 Community Enhancement program grant to the Chamber of Commerce which stipulated specific amounts for specific chamber programs. The Community Enhancement funding for the chamber’s annual Christmas parade was reduced from $25,000 to $10,000 while the amendment improved an increase from $25,000 to $30,000 for the Avocado Festival, from $15,000 to $20,000 for tourism and outreach services including map production and website information, and from $5,000 to $10,000 for the chamber’s business and economic development initiatives.

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