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Date: 1/31/2023
WARREN – Seniors in Warren looking for assistance with running errands can look no further as the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation (QVCDC) provides these services at no cost.
During the Jan. 5 Board of Selectmen meeting, members unanimously approved $8,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay for a senior outreach program at the QVCDC for Warren seniors.
QVCDC Associate Executive Director Melissa Fales explained that the senior outreach program is a free “chore service” for low-income seniors over age 60 living in town.
To obtain the service, there are certain income eligibility requirements that individuals must meet to qualify. To learn if you qualify, call 497-4407.
When a senior needs assistance – whether it be to grocery shop or pick up a prescription from Walgreens – they can contact the QVCDC and a chore provider will be assigned. The chore providers do not enter the seniors home. Instead, the provider will go to the door to grab a grocery list or money that is needed for the errand. When the errand is complete, items are brought back to the door, as the overall purpose is to “keep seniors safe at home,” she said.
Fales noted, all chore providers are employees that have been passed a CORI (Massachusetts Criminal Offender Information) checked.. “The chore providers are people we have vetted and they can trust,” she said.
She went on to say that the providers are a “group of caring individuals” who are willing to help others in need.
The QVCDC encourages seniors to provide a two days’ notice with any errand.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Fales said the program expanded. However, she shared, there continues to be a need as some seniors struggle with mobility – among other issues – especially during the winter.
As COVID-19 is still around, Fales said some seniors feel isolated. To help with that, this program allows visitation, even if it is just a simple hello or a smile, Fales added.
She noted that QVCDC’s services go beyond running errands as they also deliver food bank items to seniors in need.
“Warren has a Senior Center that is robust,” Fales said. With the outreach program, she shared, it’s more of a “supplement” that seniors have on top of the center’s offerings.
In addition to Warren, the senior outreach program is offered in Hardwick and Ware. However, the ARPA funding was solely for seniors in Warren.
This program was initially funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development, Massachusetts Community Development Block Grant Program.
She added that the QVCDC has had generous donors including Country Bank.
“QVCDC would like to thank the town of Warren for their generous support for this important program,” Fales concluded.
For additional information on the senior outreach program, visit https://qvcdc.org/.