Northwoods Seniors Unite Around Shared Issues in Merrill, Extend Project to South Central Wisconsin for Summit Set for April 23 in Elkhorn
Growing Movement of Seniors to Host “Senior Summit” in South Central Wisconsin
Last Saturday, 87 residents gathered at the Eagles Club in Merrill for the Senior Empowerment Project’s Northwoods Senior Breakfast. Participants enjoyed breakfast and connecting to neighbors from across the region. The event included a process for collectively naming the issues and concerns felt most deeply and widely among those who gathered. Top concerns for the group included:
- Isolation & lack of transportation across city and county lines,
- Isolation & the need to better connect neighbors who are left behind by technology, as well as
- Access to senior healthcare and caregiver support.
Now, the energy from that gathering is heading south.
On Thursday, April 23, 1-5 PM, the Senior Empowerment Project will host the South Central Wisconsin Senior Summit at the Walworth County Health and Human Services building in Elkhorn—a free, community-wide gathering for seniors and supporters across the region to connect, share what matters most to them, and help shape the organizing agenda ahead.
“Senior citizens have more power than they realize,” said the Rev. Michael Southcombe, who moderated the Merrill breakfast. “When they gather and talk about the issues they’re facing, they start to see opportunities and focus on solutions. That’s what we are witnessing here in Lincoln County and beyond.”
This is a conviction that resonates in Walworth County, where the need is often invisible to outsiders.
“Most people don’t realize how much disparity continues in our county. There are thousands of people who cannot afford good food, healthcare, or rent without the help of organizations like Open Arms Free Clinic or local food pantries.”
“People don’t realize there’s so much disparity in our county,” reports Sherry Engstrom of Common Ground Lake Geneva. “People hear about Lake Geneva and they think, ‘Oh, everyone here is rich, or from Chicago living in their third vacation home.’ That may be true. But at the same time, there are so many people who can’t afford to pay rent, eat, or live in the county without the help of places like Open Arms Free Clinic or one of the local food pantries—and even then it is hard, especially if you don’t have reliable transportation.”
The Rev. Jeremiah Gómez is pastor of Trinity Church in Genoa City and a member of the Groundswell Collective, a grassroots group that has organized for transportation as well as senior and childcare in Walworth County. Pastor Gómez sees the summit as a chance to enhance local efforts while also uniting with groups from around the state to address needs felt across county lines. “One of the things we’ve been learning from the summits and senior breakfasts we’ve been hosting around the state,” he said, “is that when seniors come together—when we, as humans who struggle, are given permission to share our needs, our concerns, and our hopes for a better future—the connections that are made are sacred. They give us the power, together, and make real, positive changes, for seniors and for all of us here in Wisconsin.”
The April 23 summit will feature a keynote address from Janet Zander of the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, facilitated small-group discussions, and opportunities to connect with local organizations including the Walworth County ADRC.
The event is free and open to the public, ADA accessible, and has ample ADA parking.
The Senior Empowerment Project grew out of local campaigns and grassroots groups across Wisconsin, including Walworth County’s Groundswell Collective. Members of the group were a part of co-founding the project last November at a gathering in Stevens Point.
The project’s vision: every senior has a home; every senior has access to affordable local care; seniors are no longer isolated, but integrated into community life; care workers are treated with dignity and paid wages that reflect the value of their work.
- What: South Central Wisconsin Senior Summit—Aging Forward: Informed. Inspired. Involved.
- When: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 1-5 PM
- Where: Walworth County ADRC, 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn
- Why: Unite seniors and allies around shared concerns to collectively work toward shared solutions.
- How: Please RSVP: https://www.senior-empowerment.org/ [Space is limited to 100 participants.]
- How much? Free and open to the public
- Who: This event is co-hosted by the Senior Empowerment Project, Common Ground Lake Geneva, and the Groundswell Collective. It is a non-partisan event, open to seniors and those who care about seniors in South Central Wisconsin.
