Is there a future for the Island Seniors on Sanibel?
Is there a future for the Island Seniors/Center 4 Life? After 10 years, the Sanibel City Council authorized taking out a loan to buy the Sanibel Captiva Community Bank at 2475 Library Way for the future home of Island Seniors Inc. The purchase was made in September 2019.
Then COVID-19 hit. The current Center 4 Life was closed and the bank remained in place waiting for its new accommodations to be completed. And, now the city manager has proposed options for funding the Sanibel Police Department’s modernization project using the loan money specifically earmarked for the Center 4 Life renovation.
Three options were presented for discussion at the April 6 city council meeting. The police department needs a temporary — two years estimated — location during the renovation of its current location. Where? Well, here are the three options discussed:
– Move the police into the purchased bank and use the balance of the loan designated for the renovation of the new Center 4 Life building to modernize the police building.
– Get an additional loan and move forward on the police modernization plan and the Center 4 Life renovation.
– Not reopen the old Center 4 Life for Island Seniors, farm out their programs to other organizations, and move the police department into the old building until a new one is completed using the loan money specifically earmarked for the new Center 4 Life renovations.
Is this how the city takes care of its seniors? Without contacting the Island Seniors Inc.’s board of directors, the city manager is asking other organizations to take over Island Seniors programming.
Our activities have already been suspended for over a year. How much longer do the seniors of this community have to wait? Ten years of planning has been bounced around; 10 years the Island Seniors has worked closely with the city to “make do,” and now the city wants seniors to wait another five years or scatter them among other organizations?
We, at the Island Seniors Inc., are more than 800 strong — we pay taxes to the city, many of us are full-time residents, we vote and we are an active engaged community. We need socialization, sense of belonging and stimulations that only comes from Island Seniors programming for the entire senior community.
We ask again, is there a future for the Island Seniors on Sanibel?
Island Seniors Inc. is an enrichment, social and resource organization that is volunteer-based for members of the Center 4 Life on Sanibel who are 50 and older and residents or visitors of the islands.
To reach ISLAND SENIORS INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS, please email