SeniorServ Celebrates 50 Years of Dedication & Innovation

SeniorServ honored the county’s unsung senior care heroes at their 7th Annual Senior Care Hero Awards on October 21 at the City National Grove of Anaheim. The event theme 50 Years of Dedication and Innovation celebrated SeniorServ’s 50th year of service in 2017.

Considered the leading senior care recognition program in the county, the event recognized 80 outstanding senior care industry and community advocates, while serving as the sole fundraiser for SeniorServ, Orange County’s largest nonprofit senior nutrition Meals on Wheels provider.

Organizers estimate event revenue at $260,000 and over 600 guests attended the black tie affair.

Among the honorees recognized were Humanitarian Awardee, Lynn Daucher, past Director of California Department of Aging; Innovator Awardees Loren Shook, President, CEO, COB at Silverado Senior Living and W. Major Chance (in memoriam), Founder and Former Executive Chairman of ActivCare Living.

People’s Choice Hero honorees were Family Member Hero, Carol Driscoll, Volunteer Hero, Barbara Myers and Veteran Hero, Leon Anstead. Professional category recipients were Outstanding Caregiver, Helena Bor, LVN, RCFE; Outstanding Social Worker, Dereck Cretz; Outstanding Nurse, Marylyn Hagerty, PhD, FNP BC; Outstanding Physician, John Geiss, DO; Outstanding Executive Director, Sonia Garcia-Francia, MA, RCFE and Outstanding Senior Care Professional, Jennifer Funez, MSGC with Alzheimer’s Orange County.

SeniorServ’s CEO Holly Hagler’s moving presentation included a description of outstanding caregiver nominee Melanie Finder who attended the Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas who “redefined the word ‘hero’ – normal people helping others regardless of the cost.” Holly described the situations of several homebound seniors and pending budget cuts to SeniorServ’s critical services to seniors – such as providing 900 Meals on Wheels each year. She said, “while the senior population is booming, fewer foundations are offering safety net services and less than 2% of philanthropy in the U.S. goes to senior programs. In fact, SeniorServ is facing a $220,000 shortfall this year.”

Auctioneer Jim Nye then led a rousing live auction and fund-a-need campaign that generated $56,000 for the Anaheim-based nonprofit.

John Bennett, Chief Administrative Officer at St. Joseph Healthcare served as honorary event chair, event vice-chair was Di Patterson, senior advocate, gerontologist and Founder and CEO of Success in Aging Centers and Jacqueline Dupont, gerontologist and founder and CEO of Dupont Residential Care, Inc. and Assured In-Home Care, Inc., was the auction chair. The event’s Platinum sponsor was Alignment Healthcare, an innovative Orange County-based health care management company.

The black tie affair included an expansive silent auction, awards ceremony, dinner and live entertainment throughout the evening by The Dave Stephens Band.

For more information, visit www.seniorcareheroawards.com or call 714.229.5284.

About SeniorServ

The largest Meals on Wheels and nonprofit senior nutrition and supportive service provider in Orange

County, SeniorServ nourishes the wellness, purpose, and dignity of seniors and their families in the

community.

Incorporated in 1967, Feedback Foundation merged with Senior Meals and Services in 2006 to create a

new agency, Community SeniorServ dba SeniorServ, with greater capacity, energy, resources,

and vision for the sole purpose of meeting the increasingly diverse needs of the elderly population.

The nonprofit marks its 50th year of service in 2017.