{"id":35157,"date":"2020-08-14T10:26:24","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T14:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=35157"},"modified":"2020-08-14T13:51:57","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T17:51:57","slug":"officials-say-senior-population-is-becoming-vibrant-part-of-the-business-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2020\/08\/officials-say-senior-population-is-becoming-vibrant-part-of-the-business-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Officials Say Senior Population Is Becoming Vibrant Part Of The Business Community"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
The Saratoga Senior Center is one of the local hubs of activities for area seniors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Susan Elise Campbell
\nAs the 50-plus population continues to rise, communities are experiencing seniors as a vibrant demographic.
\nThis is not a generation for rocking chairs and knitting needles. Today\u2019s retirees are contributing to the economy in unexpected ways, not only rejoining the work force but also traveling extensively and giving generously to charity, officials say. a
\nIn Saratoga County the senior population is one of the fastest growing in the state, according to Lois Celeste, executive director of the Saratoga Senior Center. There are more than 55,000 in this age group who are primarily mortgage-free homeowners with access to assets and credit.
\n\u201cI am amazed at the number of companies knocking on our door to approach the center and our seniors,\u201d said Celeste. \u201cBusinesses are popping up everywhere to serve the senior market. They come from diverse industries like health care, transportation, tourism, financial services, automotive, housing, law, and many others that the older population touches.\u201d
\nWhen she started at the senior center 11 years ago, Celeste found the agency was \u201csemi-defunct. It had blown through its resources and the building was in disarray.\u201d
\nBefore the pandemic hit this spring, the center was outgrowing its 5 Williams St. location and Celeste was conceptualizing needed renovations. But the center could not have grown to such a point without an understanding of how valuable seniors are as a demographic and how relationships with the business community directly help members to thrive, she said.
\n\u201cSponsors bring in revenue to the center while helping keep seniors active and bringing them together,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd that is good for their health. Activity lowers depression, so social interaction is vital, especially during a health crisis.\u201d
\nMedicare Advantage is a big part of sponsorship as providers vie for the local senior market. Celeste said she relies on such revenue. \u201cThis revenue allows us to do classes and programs that stimulate our seniors to move.\u201d
\nWhen funds come into senior centers, the money flows back into the community, according to Celeste.\u201cIf nonprofits are not providing food, transportation, and services to seniors, who will?\u201d
\nSenior centers frequently function as brokers who bring together people in need with volunteers, often other seniors. If a volunteer can provide a ride to a doctor\u2019s appointment, \u201cthat\u2019s supporting the health care field,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cWhen I think of seniors I see people who need care,\u201d she said. \u201cBut at the same time, they are also caregivers.\u201d
\nMany retirees are helping to raise families and volunteering time to the community. Their contributions, both financially and in terms of hours spent, make them the most charitable demographic in the country.
\n\u201cNew York has nearly one million volunteers age 55-plus who contribute 495 million hours of service per year at an economic value of $13.8 billion,\u201d according to Greg Olsen, director of the state Office for the Aging. \u201cWe would not have an economy without older adults.\u201d
\n\u201cThe Senior Center could not do what we do with programs and services without our volunteers, young and old,\u201d Celeste said. \u201cWe rely on them. Our board of directors is volunteer. I can\u2019t count the hours or the gallons of gas our volunteers spend on our members.\u201d
\nCeleste said the agency\u2019s former treasurer typifies the active senior of today. He came to Saratoga Springs as a retiree and joined the board as a volunteer.
\n\u201cAfter a year he started his own business doing bookkeeping for small businesses in town,\u201d she said. \u201cHe bought a house here, is a consumer here, his health care services are here, and he volunteers and travels.\u201d
\nAs non-profit organizations compete for fewer dollars, Celeste must be creative with fundraising ideas and persistent in building \u201csymbiotic relationships with sponsors.\u201d
\n\u201cThey give and we give back,\u201d she said.
\nVisit www.saratogaseniorcenter.org for a description of the services and programs being offered and ways to help finance them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Susan Elise Campbell As the 50-plus population continues to rise, communities are experiencing seniors as a vibrant demographic. This is not a generation for rocking chairs and knitting needles. Today\u2019s retirees are contributing to the economy in unexpected ways, not only rejoining the work force but also traveling extensively and giving generously to charity, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":35158,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-living-retirement"],"yoast_head":"\r\nOfficials Say Senior Population Is Becoming Vibrant Part Of The Business Community - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2020\/08\/officials-say-senior-population-is-becoming-vibrant-part-of-the-business-community\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Officials Say Senior Population Is Becoming Vibrant Part Of The Business Community - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Susan Elise Campbell As the 50-plus population continues to rise, communities are experiencing seniors as a vibrant demographic. 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