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Exercise classes like this one held on Monday, June 13, 2022, are popular at the Tri-Lakes Senior Alliance in Monument, which is merging with Silver Key Senior Services and will expand its offerings.
Two chess players used the Tri-Lakes Senior Alliance's center for seniors in Monument on Monday, June 13, 2022.
Tri-Lakes Senior Alliance is outgrowing the portable building that houses the community's senior center in Monument and is merging with Silver Key Senior Services, in part to help expand programs.
Exercise classes like this one held on Monday, June 13, 2022, are popular at the Tri-Lakes Senior Alliance in Monument, which is merging with Silver Key Senior Services and will expand its offerings.
Two chess players used the Tri-Lakes Senior Alliance's center for seniors in Monument on Monday, June 13, 2022.
Tri-Lakes Senior Alliance is outgrowing the portable building that houses the community's senior center in Monument and is merging with Silver Key Senior Services, in part to help expand programs.
MONUMENT • Marching toward its goal of becoming the preeminent go-to organization for senior citizens in the Pikes Peak region, Silver Key Senior Services has acquired a smaller, related nonprofit in Monument.
Silver Key has merged legally with the Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance, said Derek Wilson, chief strategy officer for Silver Key.
The alliance will continue operations under its new name, Silver Key at Tri-Lakes Senior Center, and is preparing to move to a larger building across town.
“I think we can be stronger together,” Wilson said.
The idea of a merger came up last year by happenstance, when Wilson heard Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance had started fundraising for a new building.
Leaders of the two senior organizations discussed goals, wants and needs in examining what combining efforts could look like, he said, and decided it was something to pursue.
“Silver Key is looking to cement ourselves as the one-stop shop for all things for seniors across all neighborhoods in the region,” Wilson said. “This strengthens our position in providing much needed services throughout the area.”
Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance has been struggling with cramped quarters in a modular building in the Lewis-Palmer High School parking lot, said Penny Hauser, vice president of the organization’s board.
“We’re all excited because we’re getting a bigger space, which means more services, more activities, more classes,” she said Monday. “Silver Key doesn’t want to change anything; they just want to help us.”
Hundreds of seniors from Monument, Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, Gleneagle and other northern parts of the county use the senior center in Monument and its programs monthly, Wilson said.
Those will remain and expand, he said.
Pre-pandemic, in November 2019, the center was over capacity at 300 unique visitors and 450 total visitors per month, officials told the Monument Board of Trustees, which has funded 17% of the organization’s budget. Monthly unique visitors were projected to double by 2025.
The organization is financially strong, Wilson said.
The alliance’s board of directors that oversees the organization will become an advisory board to the Silver Key board of directors, as the merger is completed.
The merger will be a topic of discussion at Wednesday’s Senior Expo that Silver Key is presenting.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at The Antlers hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, in the Summit Ballroom.
It is free and open to all. Registration is requested at silverkey.org.
More than 80 vendors will have booths, and seniors can participate in health screenings, speaker sessions, raffles, giveaways, refreshments and information throughout the day.
Tri-Lakes Silver Alliance was established in 1996 as the Tri-Lakes Health Advocacy Partnership and became the alliance in 2002. Volunteers primarily run the organization, which also provides meals for seniors.
About 25 seniors were at the senior center Monday afternoon. Some concentrated on chess games, others played cards. Several people participated in an exercise class, and one group was in a meeting. There’s a clothing bank, a free food cupboard, a lending library, potlucks, food pickup and other programs.
Some items, including shelves of puzzles, are being packed for the move across town to the Grace Best Education Center, a former school building that Lewis-Palmer School District 38 also owns and now accommodates a homeschool group, the district science center and a special needs program.
Renovations tailored to the senior center are underway, Wilson said.
Silver Key will add to the table 52 years of experience working with seniors in El Paso County on a larger scale and bring fundraising, grant writing, management, technology and other tools to help the program in Monument grow, Wilson said.
“There’s so much that can be capitalized on,” he said. “It’s a true win-win-win.”
Contact the writer: 719-476-1656.
What: Silver Key Senior Services' Senior Summit
When and where: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at The Antlers hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, in the Summit Ballroom
Details: More than 80 vendors will have booths, and seniors can participate in health screenings, speaker sessions, raffles, giveaways, refreshments and information throughout the day.
Register online: The event is free and open to the public but registration is requested at silverkey.org.
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