Organization to donate $10,000 to save senior exercise classes in Stanislaus County

The nonprofit Stanislaus Senior Foundation said it will donate $10,000 for the Young at Heart senior exercise classes, which are losing their grant funding in June.

Foundation President Elizabeth Price said the group’s board members approved the donation Monday after a story on the program’s funding crisis appeared in The Bee. The donation will be made to the Healthy Aging Association, which oversees the classes.

“We are hoping someone else comes forward to match it,” Price said.

Last week, Stanislaus County leaders agreed with a committee’s recommendation not to renew a $20,000 grant for the Young at Heart programs in Oakdale, Ceres, Turlock, Patterson, Newman, Grayson and Waterford. The exercise is considered important to health maintenance and fall prevention for seniors.

Loss of the grant funding is expected to result in some of those classes being cut in July. The 23 classes for seniors in Modesto are not affected.

A staff member with the Healthy Aging Association confirmed the foundation had offered the donation. The association is looking for funding sources to replace the $20,000 grant.

Founded in 2008, the Stanislaus Senior Foundation is a charity that works with the Area Agency on Aging and adult protective services to give emergency aid to seniors.

This story was originally published May 11, 2015 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Organization to donate $10,000 to save senior exercise classes in Stanislaus County."