Updated April 27, 2020
Council on Aging is seeking community support to help care for our region’s seniors during this uncertain time. The coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting everyone – families are hunkering down at home as schools and businesses close, public events have been cancelled and grocery stores are overwhelmed. Every level of society is impacted by this public health emergency, but there’s one group of people in our community that is especially vulnerable – seniors.
Nearly 183,000 people age 65 and older live in our region. To protect their health, seniors are being asked to stay home as much as possible and to limit their contact with others.
Council on Aging is receiving an increase in calls from seniors in our community who are anxious and in need. They are afraid to leave their homes to get food and other essential supplies and they are turning to us for help. The greatest need for our seniors at this time is food and you or your organization can help.
We are seeking corporate and individual donors to help us put meals in the hands of seniors who are afraid to leave their homes – and who are being advised NOT to go out unnecessarily at this time. Donations are tax-deductible. A $50 donation will provide a 14-day shelf-stable meal box to a senior in need.
Supplies for Home Care Workers
The home care workers who provide essential services to homebound seniors in our region require masks and gloves in order to provide care. The agencies in our provider network who employ these workers are running low or are completely out of latex/medical gloves and masks. If you have any unopened boxes of gloves or unused masks that you would like to donate, please email covid19volunteers@help4seniors.org.
Essential Personal Care Items
We are also hearing from seniors who are running out of essential personal care supplies. Therefore, we’ve partnered with Frame USA and its charity initiative, FilltheTruck.org, to raise funds to buy supplies to distribute to seniors in our region in need.
Donations will be accepted through April 30, 2020 through www.fillthetruck.org. COA will use donations to shop for essential household items such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies for seniors who have reached out to us for help.
As the state-designated Area Agency on Aging for Southwestern Ohio (serving Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties), Council on Aging is a local resource seniors trust and turn to in times of need. We administer local, state and federally-funded programs to help older adults remain safe and independent at home. We want to do all we can for seniors in our region during this uncertain time, but resources are limited and will be stretched thin as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues indefinitely.
Your tax-deductible donation will help us stretch available resources to serve more seniors in need throughout this crisis. To make a tax-deductible donation, click here.
About Council on Aging: Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life for older adults, people with disabilities, their families and caregivers. We promote choice, independence, dignity and well-being through a range of services that help people remain in their homes for as long as possible. Council on Aging’s mission is to enhance lives by assisting people to remain independent through a range of quality services.