CCSS takes delivery of new vehicle

Crook County Senior Services (CCSS) has taken delivery of a new four-wheel drive SUV that will allow easier access to seniors who live in less accessible parts of the county. The vehicle was obtained through CARES Act funding, says Jenna Ellsbury, Director, and was a much-needed upgrade that had not been possible through alternative funding means.

“Covid-19 changed how seniors go out into the public. Seniors do not want to go to grocery stores, libraries, stores, restaurants,” says Ellsbury.

“Seniors are also having a harder time convincing loved ones to transport them due to social distancing. CCSS has been able to safely fill this void. We applied for a Cares Grant under the County Commissioners to purchase a 4x4 vehicle to service our Seniors new needs created by COVID-19.”

The WYDOT grants used by CCSS to obtain vehicles do not support non-ADA compliant vehicles, she explains, but the staff needed a four-wheel drive to reach seniors who live out in the county to deliver food, goods, staff and the seniors themselves.

CCSS has also announced that its December drive to provide meals to as many seniors as possible free of charge was a great success. The Powder River Foundation covered the suggested donation portion per meal, allowing CCSS to serve a total of 1335 meals over the month to the county’s seniors.