When the Council on Aging lost its town funding in July, many senior services were cut. As a result, many of the town's elderly residents didn't know what help was still available or what the future would hold.

Two groups of seniors are now working on reinvigorating and re-establishing services for the elderly community in town.

With the failed Proposition 2 1/2 vote in June, the Council on Aging lost all of its town funding. It had received $82,000 from the town for each of the previous two years. Town officials cited the non-essential nature of the Council on Aging as a reason it lost funding.

Though most senior services were cut, a few still remain coming from a variety of sources.

Old Colony Elder Services, a privately-funded senior service organization based in Brockton, serves lunch daily in the gym of the Multi-Service Center. The meals are offered for a small suggested donation.

On Monday, Nov. 17, Cheryl Johanneson of Old Colony Elder Services will hold a "Salute to the Veterans" program during lunch with patriotic themes and decorations.

Old Colony also runs a Meals on Wheels program that delivers food to homebound seniors in Wareham and surrounding towns.

The only employee left at the Council on Aging is the grant-funded position of office manager, held by Pam Dudley. As office manager, she is able to steer seniors to available services. She said there are income-based assistance programs such as fuel assistance through the Social Community Action Council, and free bus passes that can be given to those who qualify.

Bingo is still offered weekly on Thursdays at the Multi-Service Center. There is also a self funded senior supportive care program at the Multi-Service Center that was unaffected by the budget cuts.

"With so many services gone, the Friends of the Elderly are the only non-profit specifically for Wareham seniors," said Paula Hatch, president of the Friends group.

Hatch said the group helps about 15 to 20 seniors a month with things such as medications, heat and food purchases.

"We're in really tough shape as far as money is concerned," said Hatch. "The general fund is lower than it should be for the winter."

Hatch said the last time she was president of the group in 2007, it had about $8,000 at its disposal. That number is now hovering around $2,000.

She raised $500 from a fundraiser in front of Stop and Shop in October and is holding another at Stop and Shop on Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Hatch is looking for help from other businesses to give her space or to partner with her to raise money for Wareham seniors.

Still, she said many seniors still don't know where to go for help, but a group of new Board of Directors at the Council on aging recently met for just the third time at the Multi-Service Center last week. Their goal is to find ways to make the organization more visible in the community.

The members are also trying to determine how to bring back "The Senior Beacon," a now defunct newsletter created by the former Council on Aging which was directed at seniors.

"We lost 'The Senior Beacon,' and nobody knows what's going on," she said.

The group is also exploring grants and holding small events to bring money into the organization, and is trying to show seniors there is still a place for them in town.

The next meeting of the Council on Aging Board of Directors is on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. in the Multi-Service Center.