The Portland nonprofit Elders In Action announced Tuesday that it’s closing after 22 years.
The agency positioned itself as a voice for older adults in the metro area. It advocated for affordable housing and improved access to services. It also fought against elder abuse and tried to reduce social isolation for older adults.
But the board of directors issued a statement saying that after reviewing funding options, it could not find a path to sustainability.
Its financial statement for 2018 shows that the nonprofit's contracts with the City of Portland remained stable, but its contract with Multnomah County dropped from about $200,000 a year to $50,000.
Erin Grahek with Multnomah County's Aging, Disability & Veterans Services Division said she was somewhat surprised by the closure because Elders in Action had a good reputation.
She said she's hopeful their services will be picked up by other organizations.
“I think that they’re trying to be really intentional in terms of reaching out to partners in the aging network. They have been actively engaged with AARP and the county. And so I think that they’re trying to reach out and see if there are other places and entities that can pick up some of the work,” Grahek said.
Bequests to the organization also dropped from about $115,000 to just $3,000 last year.
The board of directors’ statement says Elders is working to finish its services with clients and close by the end of May.
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