PACSO - Parker City’s Service Organization
At one pointing recent years, it was decided by then membership of Parker Rotary to bring a decades old service organization to a close in Parker City. This was due to increased costs to District and International as well as declining membership. Thus began a local service group known as Parker Area Community Service Organization, or PACSO. Now that group’s future looks ominous.
What if there was no group known as PACSO? Let us examine some of the PACSO projects. Along with the VFW and American Legion, the city GAR Cemetery is maintained annually - a three-four digit figure. PACSO assists financially with Veterans’ needs at Parker Personal Care Home. PACSO provides over sixty Christmas packages to Veterans living at Mechling-Sheakley Veteran Center near Cowansville as well as assisting with food material from time to time at the Center. PACSO assists financially towards Christmas Street Lighting when financially possible. PACSO also attempts to remember residents at Parker Heights and Parker Personal Care with holiday remembrances as well as a cooked breakfast annually at the Heights. There are other projects when the coffers have sufficient funds.
WHY is the future OMINOUS? There are currently nine members with three being under age sixty and six being over age sixty. The two annual sausage sales to raise money is the true source of income. All nine members cannot always be present for that function. Dues are only $ 25.00 annually as a token to cover some of the minor expenses. NINE MEMBERS get tired trying to keep this group going with an eight hundred city and another five hundred locally residents that could give a few bucks and a few hours a year to continuing this SERVICE group’s efforts.
PACSO meets the first Wednesday of each month at the Parker House meeting room. Diane Cratty and her staff provides a full dinner at each with no real profit going to the hostess and staff. Dinner is $10 and Dues are $ 25 annually.
Is anyone reading this article interested in keeping PACSO alive and well? The first names of the nine members are Beth, Barb, Joyce, Sally, Butch #1, Butch #2, Travis, Melinda, and Jack. You know them well. Feel free to discuss PACSO with any of them.