Jerry Conklin and a coworker of his at the hospice center were out delivering meals to seniors in nearby communities when Jerry realized the town of Heppner, Oregon where he lived, had nothing like it.
In 2023, they started the nonprofit South Morrow County Seniors Matter and raised funds to host a weekly senior lunch. Since then, the lunches have had 70 seniors on average in a town of 1,200 people. “It became apparent that there was a real need for a place where these older adults could go,” Conklin said.
Since then, Seniors Matter has added to their activities list. There are exercise classes, art classes, group trips, and now cooking classes thanks in part to a grant from the Roundhouse Foundation. Seniors Matter covers the cost of classes and lunches for all seniors to ensure that it’s accessible on a limited budget.
Conklin said the value of these events go beyond the skills seniors are learning. “As a group, they find out about each other’s needs and reach out to each other,” Conklin said. Seniors Matter has also become a place people can go to find and navigate obtaining resources from organizations like DHS, Veteran’s Affairs, or other services that are vital but sometimes daunting to figure out. “Nobody was employed by the county to do these sorts of things,” Conklin said. “We’ve stepped in and the response has shown how big the need was.”
Many senior adults struggle with isolation, particularly in a rural area like South Morrow County. But the existence of Seniors Matter has led the community to rally around them. “Every church in Heppner—nine of them—two businesses, and the Heppner high school helps in our programs,” Conklin said. “It’s become a way for everyone to build community.”
High school students will join the program, helping with cooking classes during the school year. In the past they’ve come in to do a Tech Savvy Seniors class to help seniors navigate new technologies. These intergenerational relationships are valuable for everyone, letting older adults be around youthful energy while allowing teens to serve and show respect for others, Conklin said.
“It’s more than just socialization,” Conklin said. “It’s like the community in all these different ways has given a big hug to the older adults in Heppner.” Resources for seniors should be about more than the basics of keeping them healthy, housed, and fed. It should be about making their lives better too—and that’s what this organization does.
