From the Area 1 Agency on Aging:

 

What services are you providing you’d like the community to know about?

Our offices in Eureka and Arcata are closed to walk-ins and general public. Services are still available by phone at 707.442.3763, including Senior Information & Assistance Staff.

Our Volunteer Driver Program (VDP) continues to provide rides only to essential medical appointments for current riders.

Grocery and Pharmacy Assistance. We are providing limited shopping services to current clients and are working on expanding this service to older adults 65+ or others with disabilities or chronic health conditions who need to limit their exposure to community transmission.

Are there basic functions of your organization that are changing in ways that you need to inform clients and/or the community of due to COVID-19?

We won’t be seeing clients face to face unless absolutely necessary. We are setting up systems at-risk staff can work from home. We have cancelled our SAIL exercise classes through March, if not longer.

How can community members help your organization fulfill its mission during this challenging time through donations, volunteers or anything else?

We are unable to vet short term volunteers for grocery shopping. However, volunteers who wish to sign up to help us long term as Volunteer Drivers will be vetted on an ongoing basis.

People who wish to help short term should talk to their older and disabled friends and neighbors to see if they need assistance with grocery and other needs. We discourage people from accepting this kind of help from complete strangers and suggest calling us instead to see if we can help.

Donations to help with overtime staff costs associated with coordinating shopping services and transitioning staff to working remotely would be appreciated

Is there anything else you’d like to let the public know about what you’re doing and what you need?

Thanks very much for your help in our efforts to keep our neighbors informed.