By Jim Krueger
NESCO
Prior to the mid-1970s, senior adults would gather at churches or the homes of friends or neighbors to socialize or share a meal. However, these events were limited and publicized only to members of that church or to one’s friends and neighbors.
Community leaders and clergy from area churches wanted to increase collaboration among churches and other groups, publicize events, and encourage seniors from other churches and neighborhoods to participate. The Madison Urban Ministry, Dane County Commission on Aging, City of Madison, neighborhood church groups and concerned citizens gathered to discuss how to best share information about senior adult activities happening in the community.
In 1974 four Madison senior coalitions (one for each side of town) were created, and a year later the City of Madison and Dane County provided funding to help the coalitions get started. Each coalition hired staff to promote senior activities happening in their area and throughout the city.
In 1975 the Rev. Gerhardt Hillmer, Arnold Foss and Sylvia Foss signed the articles of incorporation that established the Near East Side Coalition of Older Adults (NESCO) as a private, nonprofit organization. The first NESCO office was located at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Spaight Street. Since NESCO did not have its own building, the initial function of the coalition was doing outreach to seniors in the community and promoting the senior meals, dances, card games and bingo happening at local churches.
In the 1980s, the outreach being done by staff evolved into case management services as senior adults began requesting assistance with such needs as home chores, benefit applications and transportation to medical appointments. Social workers were hired to help senior adults on an individual basis to connect them with the services they needed to stay independent and safe in their own homes.
NESCO began receiving Older Americans Act funding (through Dane County) to coordinate a daily, nutritious lunch for senior adults at a couple of neighborhood churches. (United Way of Dane County has since become a significant annual funder of NESCO.) In addition, NESCO was designated to provide ongoing programs, services and outreach to seniors in the African-American and Latino communities throughout Dane County.
For a few years NESCO offices were housed in neighborhood schools that could give us more space. Eventually, NESCO found a more permanent home in the Washington Square building on East Washington Avenue.
As the number of seniors on the north side of Madison grew, so did the area in which NESCO was providing services. In May 1995, the name was changed from the Near East Side Coalition of Older Adults to the North/Eastside Senior Coalition.
When discussions about building a community center at Warner Park began, there was a big push to include services for seniors in the new facility. A significant amount of money for the new building was raised by those supporting senior services at the facility. In 1998, NESCO moved into Warner Park Community Recreation Center (WPCRC), and we have been here ever since.
NESCO now offers a nutritious lunch to seniors Monday through Friday, as well as a variety of services and activities. As we celebrate our 40th year, NESCO is striving to provide more programs and activities for those ages 60 and older that are not dependent on others for assistance but are looking to be more active or engaged in their daily lives.
Our official anniversary date is Feb. 14. During 2015, NESCO will host a number of events to celebrate our seniors, our programs, our members, our volunteers, our funders and the entire north/eastside community. We invite you to participate in our yearlong celebration. For those of you unfamiliar with NESCO, we welcome and encourage you to come visit us.
It has been an honor for NESCO to serve the senior community these past 40 years but we could not have done it without the support of all of you. Thank you.