We recently connected with Serita Lacasse and have shared our conversation below.
Serita, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I am very fortunate, because I had two amazing parents mold me into the woman I am today. Both my parents worked outside the home but were always home by dinner. They insisted that we all sit down for dinner together during the week. Going out was not as popular in the 80’s as it is now. Both my brother and I were very involved with sports and we would have practices and games weekly. My parents were our favorite fans. They never missed a game or opportunity to cheer us on. They also had our backs. They showed both my brother and myself that if we needed anything or someone to stand up for us, they were the first ones there, The most important thing they did was give themselves, they showed us and encouraged us to always go for our dreams and never give up. I think most important lesson they taught us is we might not be the best at something, but if we gave 110%, we would get better. The never give up attitude has stayed with me throughout my lifetime of up and downs. It was ok, to fail or hit speedbumps but if you learned from it and grew your life would be better. Having two people that believed in everything I did, made me believe in myself and allowed me to soar. I miss my dad daily since he passed away last year, but often hear him when life gets tough and always remember his words “You Got THIS.”
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Serita Lacasse, I am the Executive Director of Senior Access. More importantly, I am a proud mother to a beautiful strong young woman and wife of 30 years to man I adore. I have a Masters in Social Work and have been practicing since 1992. In 2003, I was working as a social worker in home health. I received a call to assess a woman who showed signs of depression. She was depressed because she lived with her son who left at 7 am. and returned 7 p.m. She did not drive and did not have access to any transportation. After visiting with her, I was inspired to start something to help her in the Pflugerville area. I contacted a group in Round Rock and found out how to start a group. After many days planning, I started the then Pflugerville caregivers in 2004. In 2011, Round Rock and Pflugerville merged together and became Senior Access. Since then we have expanded to East Austin, Manor, and Hutto. Senior Access provides rides for seniors to local doctors, grocery stores, Walmart’s and social events. These services are free to all the clients and much more than a ride but a connection to the community that a senior who had to give up driving needs and wants. Senior Access was able to add vans to our programs and have a fleet of 5 vans which run daily transporting seniors. I am most proud of seeing the clients who were so isolated and depressed now have a wonderful outlook on life. They are connected again to things they love and report a higher level of independence, The most important thing I can share about our services is that we all will need help at some point. This organization allows you to age in place and connect back to your community even if you have to give up your car.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Building a non profit from scratch takes time, persistence and hearing no a lot. To build a success non profit, I found that getting involved with your community is key. Joining the Rotary Club of Pflugerville was one of the best decisions I made. I joined initially just to meet business minded people but when I really became a Rotarian is when I started volunteering and getting involved. This showed others that I worked hard and got things done. It helped build my reputation of someone who will complete a project. I also joined the local chamber of commerce’s to build our reputation. It took more than just being a name on the list, but actively participating and getting to know others. I found that to receive and grow you must give as much to other.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
One book that has helped me plan easier and is used by my resource team is a book called the 12 Week Year. by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. We all can make goals for a year but you think “oh, I have time to do it” then November comes around and you wonder why you haven’t made your goals. This book is an easy way to plan your goals and actions and actually stick with them. It has been a game changer for me. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.senioraccesstx.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senior.access/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senioraccesstx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/senioraccess/
- Twitter: @senioraccesstx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@senioraccess9513