Area Agency On Aging Expands Outreach Efforts During Pandemic

Press release from the Area Agency on Aging:

March 25, 2021

In ramping up services the past 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Area Agency on Aging funded more than 1.2 million meals to homebound seniors since last March and over 2,100 cleaning supply kits, among other services and resources.

To assist in the efforts, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awarded the Area Agency on Aging two grants totaling $150,000. A $50,000 grant is providing transportation for older adults to COVID vaccine sites and a $100,000 grant is being used to develop elderSHOP through which Area Agency staff and volunteers grocery shop for older adults who need and pay for groceries but are unable to go to nearby stores.

“The funding from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust enabled us to expand our services to assist older adults who wanted to get COVID vaccines but didn’t have the means and others who were unable or afraid to go to the supermarket. We are deeply grateful for that support,” said Area Agency on Aging President and CEO Mary Lynn Kasunic. “On a broader scale, our staff and volunteers really went the extra mile to ensure that essential needs in the community were covered.”

In response to the needs of older adults and the community during the pandemic over the past 12 months:

• The Agency’s 24-hour Senior HELP LINE responded to 68,939 calls, 24,500 more than during a typical year.

• 3,560 new clients are receiving home-delivered meals with 7,197 meals on average delivered per day, double what the Agency was doing pre-pandemic.

• 936 older adults were transported to medical appointments through UberHealth.

• 5,790 food bags and boxes were delivered by the Agency’s AmeriCorps Members and new volunteers.

• 6,874 meals were delivered to homeless seniors living in hotels through the Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) Project Haven.

• 40 Goodyear seniors received Mom’s Meals through a grant from the Campbell Soup Foundation.

• 2,101 cleaning supply kits were delivered to 37 senior housing sites through a program called Goods2Home, funded by the City of Phoenix

• 2,466 isolated older adults received weekly telephone reassurance calls.

To help homebound seniors celebrate holidays, Kasunic said that food bags with special ingredients and recipes were provided for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

“When the pandemic took hold, we knew that older adults would be particularly affected and our team reacted quickly and strategically to ensure a solid lifeline was established for those who needed our help,” Kasunic said.

Individuals needing assistance are encouraged to call the 24-Hour Senior HELP LINE 602-264-HELP (4357) or Toll Free at 888-783-7500.

For more information, visit www.aaaphx.org.

This press release was produced by the Area Agency on Aging. The views expressed here are the author's own.