By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

Holopaw resident Victoria Conklin is spreading her wings, attending Valencia Community College, where she spends up to 13 hours a day preparing for a career in psychology law. Getting there, however, was the challenge. Conklin, 21, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

Previously, Conklin had to wait for her father or disabled grandmother to carry her wheelchair down the front steps of her home to go anywhere. Now, thanks to the Osceola County Council on Aging’s 6 Ramps 6 Days program, Conklin’s independence has grown after volunteers built her a wheelchair ramp in May.

“I really didn’t believe anyone would volunteer their time and effort to build me a ramp, and for free,” said Conklin at the Council on Aging 39th Anniversary Breakfast Thursday. “I want to do things on my own.”

Conklin is one of more than 76,000 people the organization has helped since 2009. The council boasts 30 different programs and 1,700 volunteers but CEO Beverly Hougland said, due to the economy, community support is still needed with “donations, time and talent.”

“We’ve just tightened our belts and we’ve all had to take more on,” said Hougland. “We touch too many lives. The people we serve are more than just clients; they become part of our family. Just come aboard and help us; it’s not about the money.”

To serve nearly 80,000 people of all ages in one year, it’s about the money a little. Two full-time grant writers file six to eight grant applications a month, said Chief Financial Officer Connie Benca, and as funding in some areas has lessened due to the economy, other funding has opened up.

Benca said the council noticed the economic downturn in 2008 and made changes internally to decrease the impact felt by clients. They changed staff benefits; returned cars leased for administrators; removed cell phone coverage for employees and cancelled the lawn service, preferring to find staff to cut the grass.

Through grants, the council has given more than $1 million in energy assistance to low-income families in the past five years.

Another popular program is Meals on Wheels, where daily trays of food are delivered to disabled or elderly residents in their homes.

Yvonne Jillson, 91, of St. Cloud, said preparing meals would make life more difficult to live alone.

“Each day I don’t have to worry about a meal enables me to stay in my home,” she said.

“We go outside the box to keep people in their homes,” Benca added.

The organization also maintains a health clinic for county residents over age 18 without health insurance.

“This clinic adds and maintains dignity to our clients,” Dr. Peter Morrow, medical director of the clinic, said.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the Osceola Council on Aging at 407-846-8532 or www.osceolagenerations.org.