The local League of Women Voters, provided the original impetus for the organization in 1978, when a member became ill and it was found that there were no resources available to assist her.
The League formed a committee, headed by Edith Mayerson and Tres Mennis, to study what services were needed and where they could be found. A questionnaire was then prepared, with input from 120 volunteers from the League, the Co-coordinating Council, AAUW and CAP.
A professional survey writer then re-did the questionnaire and trained the volunteers to take a survey of homes on the peninsula. Those volunteers went to one thousand homes and if a person living there was over sixty years of age they were asked to participate in the survey. A total of 285 interviews were recorded; indicating that one home in nine was occupied by a senior.
Many organizations on the Peninsula gave time and effort to assist the newly forming organization. American Savings Bank donated use of a desk and telephone.
Through all this activity, the League of Women Voters was providing both financing and office space. On September 20, 1982 , Peninsula Seniors was incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization.
We then moved to an office provided by the Grayslake School and were partially funded by CAP for one year. Since that time the Peninsula Seniors has been on its own, financially.
Financial needs have been met through membership dues, trip revenues, grants and donations. We are not a department of or funded by any government or other public agency.