Marjorie’s Chair
On early Sunday mornings, most are still wrapped in their cozy sheets; but Kelli Casto is pulling up in her friend Natalie’s truck to an assisted living facility in Largo, Florida. An ambulance is parked outside with pulsing red lights. Sunlight glows on the aluminum roof of the two-story facility and Kelli bursts out the truck’s door with a vivacity for life. Dressed in exercise clothes with her short blond hair pulled back, she begins unloading a large brown armchair. This is no regular armchair. This chair lifts you out of it and it is a crucial piece of furniture to many seniors.
Grinning, Kelli rolls the chair into the building on a dolly and greets the front desk. She points to the dolly and says, “See I’ve gotten smarter. No more heavy lifting.” She asks to see Marjorie, who is in the hallway directly ahead. Rolling past, she knocks firmly on Marjorie’s door and inside you can hear a kind voice inviting her in. Marjorie is seated on her tidy bed in her small corner of the world. She has gray cropped hair and glasses and is wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt. Ceramic figurines of angels and Native Americans filled a wicker cabinet behind her. A Hallmark family movie played silently on the television. Beside her bed was a vanity. The mirror was nearly fully obscured with photos of adorable grandchildren with assorted Snapchat filters applied.
Kelli and Marjorie have a comfortable rapport and the two catch up while Kelli moves her old broken lift-chair. They discuss the small donation of $200 for the chair that runs for more than twice that price. Marjorie agrees to small installments. Once in place Marjorie reclines in the chair and looks up to Kelli with her hands on her knees. “I’m just so thankful,” she says, and then pats the arm rests. Kelli takes a “Senior Selfie” with Marjorie who brushes her hair behind her ears explaining that she is growing her hair out. Marjorie is self-deprecating and Kelli laughs, assuring her that she looks better than her. Kelli invites Marjorie to call with anything she needs but with Marjorie’s nod, you can tell she knows this already.
An Unmet Need
Kelli Casto is the Executive Director extraordinaire for Saving Our Seniors, where she is a staff of one. She humbly credits a friend with naming the nonprofit, referring to its urgency. Working full-time as an Occupational Therapy Assistant, Kelli operates the nonprofit in her free time on evenings and weekends. She saw the need first-hand for uninsured or under-insured seniors who need durable medical equipment to function at their best. In 2016, she made it official and started the nonprofit Saving Our Seniors serving Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Sarasota counties.
Kelli envisions our seniors aging in place, as evidence shows that maintaining hope and autonomy are indicators for long, fulfilled lives. She does this by providing needed equipment, whether a four-wheel walker, shower grab bars, hospital beds, wheelchairs, or lift-chairs, like Marjorie needed. Her vision doesn’t end there. In time she hopes to develop phases of care that build on the equipment, including services such as lawn care, transportation, food needs, and finally companionship. She will jocularly remind you that we are all getting older and no senior should go without. She receives 15-20 referrals a week and has impressively served 500 seniors since inception. Saving Our Seniors is unique in their expeditious services, typically getting equipment to those in need within 5 days.
Sustainable Efforts
Saving Our Seniors was born in Kelli’s heart and began as simply purchasing equipment on Amazon for seniors when she saw a need. She knew sustainability would keep her program in place. She created an income threshold at $1500 a month for eligible seniors. She constructed a pay structure that would not hinder seniors in need. She requests a minimum 3% donation for equipment, or $200 dollars, which can be broken into payments of less than $20 a month. She has an online form that allows seniors or advocates to identify a need. She utilizes a 2,500 square foot warehouse in Largo that Home Instead Senior Care donated.
In September, Saving Our Seniors will host their first fundraiser at Bloom Assisted Living. The event will be a night with beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres with live music. Guests will be introduced to the Saving Our Seniors mission. Kelli is a one-woman show with limited funds. She needs the support of the community to meet the very tangible need of getting medical equipment to our seniors. Currently, her greatest need is funding to purchase a truck so that she isn’t constantly renting or borrowing for deliveries. Just as she does in her “Senior Selfies,” Kelli is welcoming the community to partner with her. She is throwing her arm around your shoulder, smiling big for the camera and saying “Let’s face this problem together!”
Please visit Saving Our Seniors website at Savingourseniors.care or call Kelli at 727-537-6753.
