Forty-Five Volunteers Help 235 People; More Clients, Volunteers Welcome
Over the past two months as businesses, schools, and non-profits have shuttered their doors and suspended programs, staff with the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County Senior Programs chose to focus their efforts on finding safe ways to maintain valuable connections with their most vulnerable senior participants.
Annually, the Volunteer Center helps more than 550 seniors to age safely in our community and maintain the independence they desire through programs like Helping Hands Senior Home Repair, Matter of Balance, and the Transportation Program.
Prior to the shutdown of services, volunteers with the Volunteer Center Transportation Program were providing more than 75 free rides per week for ambulatory fixed income seniors and the disabled. These rides allowed those in need to get to necessary medical appointments or go grocery shopping and banking.
“When the shelter in place orders began, we recognized that senior safety was at risk as their needs for safe home repair, groceries, and human connection did not subside. We quickly set to work to brainstorm and devise plans for how we could creatively adapt some of our services to still meet the needs of our participants as they shelter in place. Our first order of operations was to establish a phone check-in system with our program participants,” said Volunteer Center Senior Programs Coordinator Tara Ireland.
Since the start of this crisis, Senior Programs staff and volunteers have held phone consultations with more than 150 seniors. “These phone calls have been invaluable for ensuring that seniors know how to access the resources they need while sheltering in place and for some this may be the only personal connection they have,” said Ireland.
Volunteer Center intern Brandi Farrar is a volunteer with the new Grocery Shopper Program.
From these brainstorming sessions and senior conversations emerged the Grocery Shopper Program. This new program serves the needs of fixed-income adults age 60+ as well as health-compromised adults 55+. The program uniquely serves those who can afford the cost of their groceries but can’t visit a grocery store because of the great risk to their health. Seniors are able to specifically request the items they want purchased.
Volunteers are recruited, background checked, and trained to take grocery orders and methods of payment from local seniors. Volunteers then purchase groceries on behalf of the senior and deliver the groceries to their doorstep using social distancing practices. Volunteers are required to use masks and gloves and the volunteer never enters the home of the participant.
Since this program launched last month, it has served 235 people with the help of 45 volunteers who have collectively delivered more than 2,200 bags of groceries.
The program has proven to be an excellent way to lift the spirits of both those in isolation and the volunteers as well. Volunteers with the program have expressed that volunteering gives them a dose of needed motivation and purpose.
“I love that we are meeting a critical need and helping people maintain meaningful connections with one another in the process. Finding creative ways to remain connected is so important for everyone’s emotional health as we ride the changing waves of the times we are in,” said Ireland.
Volunteers in the shopper program like Laura Chiavola couldn’t agree more.
“I’ve really loved volunteering with this program. I have been able to connect with people in my community that I otherwise wouldn’t and grocery shopping for them has been like a weekly treasure hunt. I’ve gotten to know these folks through our phone conversations and always feel really good about getting them their special items and making sure they have what they need. Being a volunteer grocery shopper has been a great experience that I recommend without reservation to anyone who loves grocery shopping and wants to help out in our community as we all make sacrifices and pioneer new ways to care for ourselves and each other,” Chiavola said.
Through a partnership with Ecology Action, some volunteers have chosen to take on their volunteer effort by bike and see this as a way to help the environment while helping others.
“The great thing is that I know I’m not only helping the participant, but I’m also reducing the COVID-19 risk by reducing how many people are shopping, and also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by combining it with my own shopping trip,” said grocery shopper colunteer Brooke Wright.
The program is accepting new clients and volunteers. Fixed-income adults 60 or older, or immune compromised adults 55+ who are vulnerable to COVID-19 can call the Grocery Shopper Hotline at 831-427-3435 to learn more.
Healthy individuals who are interested in volunteering can learn more about program by visiting the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County website at www.scvolunteercenter.org.
Story By Christine Loewe