Mar 27, 2020
Happy Friday to all of our amazing Volunteers,
We hope you are keeping well during this difficult time and making sure to take extra good care of yourself!
Theresa and I, along with most of the staff at SeniorCare, have been working from home for the past 2 weeks, and we miss our routine of seeing each other and corresponding with and seeing many of you! We want you to know that we are available by phone or email should you need to reach us with any suggestions, questions or concerns. We both check email throughout the day, Monday through Friday, and if you leave a voicemail for either of us, we are checking our messages throughout the day.
We’d like to share a quick update about what’s been happening with RSVP and SeniorCare over the past week as well as some quick updates/news:
- The Volunteer Luncheon will be rescheduled… it had been scheduled for May 2020, so please stay tuned for the new date once we know more!
- THANK YOU to our Many Meals on Wheels Volunteer Drivers who have been helping to deliver meals to consumers for the past 2 weeks, and continue to help as much as you are able! We are so grateful for your commitment and service to the elders in our communities!!!
- THANK YOU to our Volunteer Medical Transportation Drivers, Tax Aide Volunteers, Meal Helpers and so many other volunteers who have been helping throughout this crisis, signing up as new volunteers, and responding to requests for help as needed!!!
- We have been busy talking with and signing up more than 30 new volunteer drivers to help the Meals on Wheels Program which has been very busy serving elders throughout our communities! We are doing our best to respond as quickly as possible, talking with new volunteers and conducting all the required checks, etc. We appreciate everyone’s patience and incredible kindness.
- We want to be sure that you know that the Massachusetts State Income Tax Filing Deadline is being Extended to July 15 – Massachusetts will move the state personal income tax filing and payment deadline to July 15, consistent with the federal government, due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. This income tax relief is automatic and taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms to qualify.
We realize that many of you want to remain involved and make a difference somehow while staying home as much as possible and keeping your social distance during this crisis. We have some suggestions, as well as links to resources which provide useful and helpful information as well as creative suggestions and ideas. Please pass along and share; we hope you are encouraged and helped by receiving this information. More will come next week, as we are working together with SeniorCare Staff, our wonderful Senior Centers, our local food pantries and many area nonprofits to develop a more complete resource list full of ideas for ways to stay engaged and helping the community.
- We encourage you to stay in touch…
Please reach out to each other, as well as your family and neighbors, by phone, FaceTime, Skype or other Video Calls! If you have a computer, smartphone, tablet, etc., learn and use this new technology! There are some great tutorials available online. Some of our volunteers do not have computers or email, and they may not be receiving any messages or even calls. They may be feeling more isolated than many of us. Try starting a new habit of calling a few friends and someone in your family each day so that you keep connected with each other. Also, please let us know if you would like to check in on another volunteer, and we can provide you with their contact information, after we get their permission. - If you are crafty and can sew, please consider making cotton masks for our health care professionals to use over their own masks, which helps them last longer. JoAnn Fabric is Middleton is giving out free fabric and elastics towards this effort – https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response/?icn=hpzhero&ici=make-to-give-response. Here is a link for a pattern which has been approved by the CDC: https://www.coxhealth.com/innovation/masks/. Please let us know if you need help locating supplies or finding a place to donate!
- Please use this helpful link to North Shore Food Resources for yourself, and please share with your friends, family & neighbors! (This one-page (2-sided) sheet can be printed and shared with someone who does not have email.)
- Lastly, it is important to remember to be taking good care of yourself throughout this time of change, which may be causing stress and anxiety. Do what you can to stay active, engaged and take the time to participate in activities that make YOU HAPPY and feeling refreshed! Here are some Self-Care Tips that we found on NPR’s website.
We hope you find this information helpful. If you know about resources or have suggestions for staying healthy or giving back during this time, please let us know.
As always, thank you for all you do. Be well and be safe!
Ruth Lindsay & Theresa Dickson