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SENIOR VOLUNTEER
PROGRAM
(SVP)
The
Senior Volunteer Program of Franklin County is a contracting agency
with the Office for the Aging in Franklin County. The SVP focuses
its mission on engaging caring people to give of their time and
talents through volunteering. Volunteering consists of taking action
to assist area seniors, who are less fortunate, while solving their
community’s toughest challenges. Through their insight and efforts,
improvements and needed changes are made; enriching not only their
lives in the process, but the lives of those they so proudly and
generously serve.
At
the present time, The Senior Volunteer Program has 545 active
volunteers. The service categories that are being addressed involve
Health/Nutrition Programs, Food Distribution and Collection Programs
and its Hospice/Terminally Ill Services, all of which are maintained
via Senior Volunteers. Secondary to this are our Human Needs
Programs, which include Housing Rehabilitation and Construction, the
Senior Citizens Assistance Program and the Education Program which
incorporates the Cultural Heritage Sites. Other service categories,
specific to the SVP, are its Environmental Awareness, Community and
Economic Development Programs (which encompasses our thrift store).
While 13.90% of seniors living in Franklin County live below the
poverty level, our program addresses the need for both Food
Distribution Centers and Adult Centers which provide both the
Congregate Meals and the Home Delivered Meals to seniors living in
our county. The SVP also provides medical transportation to seniors
who have no other means of transportation available to them. Last
year our volunteers completed 119 transports. (This program offers
Supplemental Insurance coverage as well as mileage reimbursement of
either .50 per mile and/or a cap of $25 depending upon the service
provided.)
Through the SVP, the St. Vincent De Paul’s Thrift Store continues to
provide discounted clothing for its clients and seniors in need.
While The SVP addresses various other needs, these priorities have
become our most valued. We are able to continue to feed the hungry
and provide transportation to and from live saving medical
appointments and/or medical procedures. The SVP continues to
operate in conjunction with other organizations involved with the
improvement in the quality of life of its clients through
partnership with area families and individuals. The SVP’s goal, via
its 545 volunteers, is to lessen food insecurity in seniors, provide
them with much needed medical attention, through its Medical
Transportation Program, and assist in providing clothing for seniors
and people in need.
Volunteer opportunities
include: Meal registrations, preparation and cleanup as well as
decorating for special occasions at our 8 Adult Centers. Community
and Economic Development volunteer activities entails office work,
working in hospital gift shops/snack bars. Senior Citizen’s
Assistance includes friendly visitation, telephone reassurance
(checking on seniors at their homes via telephone contacts on a
periodic basis), assisting with entertainment – music/playing in
bands, dancing, games/crafts, taking seniors to PT and
X-rays and Mass within a hospital
or nursing home setting, etc. Other areas of interest are
fundraising projects and attending site meetings as board selected
members on committees.
The SVP offers
volunteers the opportunity to serve in just about any capacity of
interest or expertise at the following 54 worksites currently under
its jurisdiction. This list is as follows:
ADULT CENTERS,
ADIRONDACK FARMER’S MARKET, ADIRONDACK MEDICAL CENTER, ALICE HYDE
MEDICAL CENTER, ALMANZO WILDER ASSOCIATION, ASSOCIATION OF SENIOR
CITIZENS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, BRUSHTON-MOIRA ADULT CENTER,
BRUSHTON-MOIRA FOOD PANTRY, BURKE ADULT CENTER, BURKE FOOD PANTRY,
CEREBRAL PALSY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY (transportation only), CONSTABLE
ADULT CENTER, EMMAUS SOUP KITCHEN, FARRAR NURSING HOME, FORT
COVINGTON ADULT CENTER, FRANKLIN COUNTY BACKPACK PROGRAM, FRANKLIN
COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, FRANKLIN COUNTY NURSING HOME, FRANKLIN
COUNTY OFFICE OF THE AGING, FRANKLIN COUNTY OMBUDSMAN, FRANKLIN
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, FRANKLIN COUNTY SVP, FRANKLIN COUNTY VETERANS
SERVICE AGENCY, HIGH PEAKS HOSPICE, HISTORIC SARANAC LAKE, HOSPICE
OF THE NORTH COUNTRY, LAKE CLEAR SENIORS, MALONE ADULT CENTER,
MALONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MALONE GOLDEN AGE CLUB, MERCY CARE FOR
THE ADIRONDACKS, MERCY LIVING CENTER, MOIRA NEW HOPE FOOD PANTRY,
NORTH STAR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, NORTHERN NY VISITORS HOSPITALITY
CENTER, PAUL SMITHS COLLEGE VIC CENTER, SARANAC LAKE ADULT CENTER,
ST. PAUL’S FOOD PANTRY, ST. REGIS FALLS ADULT CENTER, ST. REGIS
MOHAWK ADULT CENTER, ST. VINCENT DEPAUL THRIFT STORE, THE WILD
CENTER, THIRD AGE ADULT CENTER OF MALONE, TUPPER LAKE COMMUNITY FOOD
PANTRY, WAVERLY FOOD PANTRY, WESTVILLE HISTORICAL ORGANIZATION
If you are 50 years or
older and are interested in joining the SVP in serving your
community, making new acquaintances, keeping up skills you’ve
acquired OR know of anyone who might be interested, please contact
the SVP Office, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm by calling
481-1528/481-1529 to speak with Susan Schrader, Director or Carole
Ann Milljour, Assistant Program Director; AND/OR stop in to see us
at our 125 Catherine St. office in Malone to get further information
and/or to pick up an application.
Service is a privilege that keeps on giving and giving!
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