As we reflect on Kerry Benefield’s insightful article in the Press Democrat’s Sunday, June 14, edition titled, “A quiet catastrophe: County programs aim to address alarming rates of senior isolation, loneliness,” we at the Santa Rosa Corps of the Salvation Army also understand the crucial need to support our senior citizens so they may continue to live a life of dignity and care.

The Salvation Army would like to share how we join in the effort to support seniors in the community.

First, some background: Founded in the slums of London, England in 1865, the Salvation Army arrived in the United States in 1880. In less than a decade, the Salvation Army was established in Sonoma County and, in addition to being a Christian Church, the Salvation Army has become one of the longest-serving and vital social service agencies in Santa Rosa.

We’re certainly well-known for our annual Christmas season bell-ringing in front of local stores. The donations placed in our famous red kettles provide an important portion of the organization’s funding.

But the Salvation Army is much more than just the bells and kettles.

Most people are surprised when they learn about our food pantry that feeds thousands of families each year; our Double Punches boxing program that provides a safe and positive after-school activity to over 90 young people; our Emergency Disaster Canteen that serves meals to victims and first responders; our transitional living program that offers housing, counseling and hope to men in addiction recovery; and our Silvercrest twin tower, a 10-story housing apartment complex near downtown Santa Rosa that helps provide an affordable place to live for nearly 200 low-income seniors.

But one of our most important programs can be found adjacent to Silvercrest — our senior activity center that is open to all seniors in the community. It directly addresses the serious issue of loneliness and isolation among the elderly that the article so aptly brought to everyone’s attention.

As Benefield’s article explains, across California, surveys show that 1 in 5 seniors age 65 or older currently living alone reported having no meaningful contact at the start of the year. More than 60% of respondents said loneliness affected their physical or mental health, according to the same survey.

We recognize that here in Sonoma County — as Benefield points out — our population skews olders than both the rest of the state and nation. Not only is the median age five years older than the state and four years older than the nation, but about 140,000 of the county’s 485,000 residents — nearly 29% — are 60 years or older, according to the California Department on Aging. That percentage is expected to increase to 35% by 2030.

In recognition of the many negative side effects of social and physical isolation experienced by Sonoma County seniors, the Salvation Army opened this Senior Activity Center in 2016. Through socially and physically interactive programs including chair volleyball, yoga, dances, card games, Bingo, guest speakers, holiday parties, musical performances, arts and crafts, computer classes and field trips, the Salvation Army’s Center provides a welcoming environment to engage, energize and stimulate Sonoma County’s 55-years-old plus community.

In addition to daily coffee and snacks, through our partners at the Council on Aging, the Salvation Army provides a hot lunch once a week. We provide all of this for just $25 per year, and the Salvation Army is non-government supported and relies solely on the generosity of individuals and the business community.

The Santa Rosa Salvation Army agrees with the quote in the June 14 Press Democrat article that “loneliness in older adults is like a slow-acting toxin.” But we believe too that “loneliness is curable.” We encourage local seniors and their families to explore all of the warm and caring Senior Centers in Sonoma County and we especially invite the public to visit us at 115 Pierce St. in Santa Rosa to see how we are helping to cure this loneliness.

Maj. Marcos Marquez is the corps officer who leads Sonoma County’s Salvation Army at the staff level. Keith Woods is the advisory board chair for the organization.