Coos Elderly Services

Bringing Lives into Balance

Coos Elderly Services, Inc.

At Coos Elderly Services, we've discovered that helping people to balance their checkbooks can often mean bringing their lives into balance, too.

Coos Elderly Services' mission is to provide financial management services to the elderly and other vulnerable members of our community. The day-to-day experience of that mission abounds with far-reaching benefits and consequences. Since its foundation in 1991, Coos Elderly Services has come to represent a pioneering social services program that improves and changes lives.

Sr. Mary Laetice Williams, RSM, drew upon her years of ministry as Sisters of Mercy nursing home administrator and accountant when she created the innovative agency. She recognized the difficulties experienced by elderly individuals who were attempting to manage their finances following an illness or the death of a spouse. Sr. Laetice and one other volunteer began making home visits and offering hands-on help with insurance and personal finances.

As the fledgling agency attracted referrals from community and governmental agencies and institutions, the number of clients increased, along with the complexity of their needs. While continuing to assist the elderly, Coos Elderly Services began to serve individuals of all ages who are physically and/or developmentally disabled, or struggling with mental illness.

Sr. Mary Laetice Williams, RSM