WESTFIELD — Sarah Gillett Services for the Elderly is seeking volunteers to serve as corporators, and potentially board of trustees members, to continue its important work providing grants to local organizations to provide services to the elderly.
“Members of the board of trustees are selected from the corporators. The number of volunteers willing to serve as corporators has continued to dwindle over the past few years,” said Irene Eberwein, the organization’s president. “Serving as a corporator entails attending an annual meeting conducted by the trustees and approving board actions and decisions. Many people become corporators because they are drawn to the very important work done by the foundation for the elderly.”
The foundation provides grants to agencies in and around Westfield that promote the health and welfare of seniors. Those who have received grants in the past include the Westfield Senior Center, Westfield Council on Aging and Our Community Food Pantry in Southwick, for general services for the elderly. However, the foundation also provides grants for more specific requests such as an art class at Westfield Council on Aging, large-print books at the Westfield Athenaeum and the broadcast of newspapers for the benefit of visually impaired people through Valley Radio Reading Services.
After prospective grant recipients submit letters of request with the amount needed and the purpose of the grant, the applications are reviewed by the trustees and awards are given in June.
“The benchmark for any organization seeking a grant from the foundation is that it must serve the interests of senior citizens,” noted Eberwein.
Sarah Gillett Services for the Elderly is governed by a board of trustees, which is in turn overseen by the corporators. The board meets several times a year to discuss how to distribute the foundation’s money. Corporators only meet once a year at the annual meeting to vote on and approve the board’s actions.
Eberwein, in her fifth year as president, said that in addition to attracting new volunteers, the trustees are also hoping to host a fundraiser next spring. The trustees are considering a fundraiser in the spring of 2025.
“It is gratifying to meet the people who serve the needs of the elderly in our local community,” added Eberwein. “They are kind, hard-working and caring individuals.”
In 1907, prominent Westfield businessman Ralph Gillett’s home was sold to the Home for Aged People corporation to serve as the organization’s new home. As a tribute to Gillett’s mother Sarah, who passed away in 1904 at 74, the home was renamed the Sarah Gillet Home for the Aged. Sarah Gillett Services for the Elderly began in 1971 with the proceeds from the sale of the Sarah Gillett Home for the Aged as its base endowment. Since 1971, it has given away more than $1 million in grants for senior services. While most of the funding comes from the trust fund established in 1971, the organization also accepts donations from the community.
Anyone interested in serving as a corporator can contact Eberwein at 413-579-4991 or sgillettsfte@gmail.com.
