Mar 9

Written by:
3/9/2010 1:56 PM 

We provide essential services to our area’s cherished elders in need – members of our extended family. Seniors like the sweet couple in their 70’s, both on walkers with severe diabetes, the husband suffering complications from multiple surgeries and his wife legally blind. We deliver nutritious hot lunches to them Monday through Friday, and help them with household chores like vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes, doing laundry and taking out the garbage. Our Handyworker program makes minor repairs to their house. And we got them an emergency response system in case of falls. We’re empowering them to stay in their home together, independent and safe.

In affluent neighborhoods like ours, you might not expect that many seniors are in dire economic straits. We have a 96 year-old woman living in a camper on top of an old Ford truck. She’s frightened and hungry. We’re trying to solve the logistics of delivering lunch to her. A man in his 60’s lost his job and his home of 25 years. Now he’s living in his car parked in the driveway of his repossessed house. We’re trying to find him a low-cost place to live and some work. Actually, hundreds of seniors across the valley are living in their RVs and cars, constantly moving around to avoid parking tickets. Most of them are well-educated, law-abiding citizens with excellent credit ratings and no serious disabilities. They’re just financially destabilized, most often by ongoing medical expenses, now living on Social Security alone. We’re trying to find a place where these EVMPC family members can legally park overnight, so we know they’re safe and we can try to connect them to available city and county services.

This year our Department of Aging grant requires a $30,000 cash match to meet our operating expenses. So we’re asking as many generous-hearted folks from our community as possible to donate $20 each. Of course, if you can afford more it will be greatly appreciated. We’ve raised more than $8,000 already, from people like you who care about the well-being of the lesser of our elder brothers and sisters - our homeless and frail homebound seniors. Help us weave them a stronger and more secure safety net.

At East Valley, we take care of family!        

East Valley Multipurpose Senior Center
5000 Colfax Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
818-766-5165