HELPING PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES WINTER 2012 Joyce Seely touches the lives of seniors & disabled n December 5, Joyce other items. always enjoyed the company of Seely delivered 152 This152 year, her donation was in seniors and too often finds that Ogift-filled shoeboxes memory of her mother who they have become the forgotten. to ACCESS to be delivered recently passed away. “I feel they should be honored for to our seniors and disabled all they have gone through clients during the holidays. and survived. This is my “This is my way of letting way of letting them know She is busy all through the year them know someone is someone is thinking of assembling those boxes. A few them.” of her friends and her sister help thinking of them.” Joyce’s original volunteer purchase items, put the boxes history was with animal together and wrap them. She “I actually started doing this organizations. She has always includes items that she a couple of years ago as my volunteered at Jackson County makes herself, such as lavender mother’s health was failing and Animal Care and Control and she sachets, coffee mugs, gloves, I was taking care of her,” she and a friend even started Spay puzzle books, pens and pencils, says. “I often felt helpless to stop and Neuter Your Pet and Animals small stuffed animals, photo what was happening to her, but in Distress. albums and frames, candy, and she loved the idea of the senior “The last few years I shifted my shoeboxes focus to ACCESS after discovering in this issue: and we how important they were to • Brighten someone’s life with a shoebox • Special program to help feed seniors shared those caring for someone who is • Message from our Executive Director. evey month. the idea ill and realizing you can borrow • Letters to ACCESS • Mark your calendar ACCESS that we medical equipment from them.” SeniorFair coming up! could help • ACCESS senior “Gatekeepers” — who ACCESS wants to thank you are they? • Dream$avers makes a Print Shop others.” buisness come true. Joyce! It’s people like you who • Foodshare gardens expand thanks to Joyce says make our efforts possible. Rotary First Harvest. • THANKS to over 2,200 supporters she has listed this holiday season. STAFF Executive Director Message from the Jackie Schad: 541-774-4338 Community Planning & Research Director Executive Director Ed Angeletti: 541-774-4330 Development Director Real people. Real stories. Real help. Pam Slater: 541-690-3974 Support Services Director As government leaders at all levels help. He had never sought assistance Ellen Gray: 541-774-4313 struggle to balance revenues with before, but told me he was grateful that Housing Director necessary services, our community is we were able to help him get by during a Cindy Dyer: 541-774-4319 having many-layered conversations couple of tough months. Now that he is Nutrition Programs Director about human services. I recently heard back at work, he intends to give back. Philip Yates: 541-774-4320 a comment that “the safety net is The woman who served my breakfast not a hammock.” There is a common at a local restaurant told me that when Development Manager stereotype that people receiving certain Logan Bell: 541-774-4312 her husband left her with two young forms of government help are lying children, ACCESS helped her get into Human Resources Director about drinking beer and waiting for the an apartment that she could afford. Carlea Campagna: 541-618-4010 unemployment or welfare check to come The man who waited on me at the in the mail. paint store this weekend said that his BOARD of But, the reality is often much different. As hours had been cut back and he had DIRECTORS I wrote here recently, poverty has a job an appointment the following week Bruce Cartmel, Chair in Jackson County. Nearly three-fourths at ACCESS, hoping to get help with his John Watt, Chair Elect of the ACCESS clients last year work full utility bill. Cathie Davis , Vice Chair or part time. This has taken on more The grocery store, the dry cleaners, the Ken Williams, Past Chair meaning for me as I have gone about my gas station, the Wal-Mart are places Pat Huycke, Secretary/Treasurer daily life here in the Rogue Valley. I often where I hear these kinds of stories. It Tim Alford wear my ACCESS jacket and these are helps me remember that behind our John Bond some of the stories I have heard. statistics are men and women working Julie Brown The gentleman who came to repair hard to make ends meet. At ACCESS we Ed Miller my refrigerator shared with me that he are privileged to give them a hand. James L. Patterson was unemployed for months. Friends —Jackie Schad Dennis Richardson suggested that he come to ACCESS for Steve Shapiro Grady Singletary Bob Strosser Letters Hank Williams Hello, ACCESS: Dear Members of the Board, SPECIAL The enclosed Please accept the enclosed small check in appreciation of the ADVISORY BOARD donation is a small wonderful work you are doing to provide medical equipment way of saying thank for seniors and disabled people in the Rogue Valley. Kathy Beckett you for the transfer My dad was able to visit me recently, after my mom’s recent Martin Cooper bench which we Les Cracraft death, and we hope he’ll eventually move to be near me or borrowed from my sister. Sam Davis you and have now Carlos DeBritto returned. The use We couldn’t have had such a successful, safe visit without the David Dotterrer of it was greatly medical supplies you loaned us for the week he was here. Eric Foster appreciated. Please use the enclosed check to buy parts for repairing the Lyn Hennion Thank you, medical equipment so that more people may benefit, and Craig Morris more equipment can be recycled. — Cleve Sherm Olsrud Sincerely, Wanda Olsrud Mary Smart —Jacqueline Ashland, OR Rep. Greg Walden Senator Ron Wyden 2 —more letters on page 7 Senior Outreach Service Housing “Without the program, I would not be sitting here today.” ears ago, this house was a “Ysort of oasis in the middle of orchards and farm fields,” said Katy. “It ACCESS “Gatekeepers” certainly wasn’t a Medford, suburban neighborhood like it is now.” watching out for seniors Katy has lived in her house since she was CCESS Senior Outreach ACCESS: five years old and she now owns it. AService offers a Gatekeeper • Elder’s name and phone “This house is my sanctuary,” she says Program that is part of its number contentedly. community effort to identify • Age, if known Last year, Katy almost lost her home. seniors in need. The goal of this • Address or directions After losing a roommate who paid rent, program is to have community to Elder’s residence or her income was just enough to pay her members keep their eyes whereabouts mortgage with nothing left over to pay and ears alert for seniors at • A brief description of concerns bills, heat her home or even buy food. risk, particularly those who • Gatekeeper’s name, telephone “I knew that I needed to bring down my are isolated, living alone and number and address potentially in need of some payment in order to be able to live by type of assistance to maintain The role of the gatekeeper ends myself,” she said. their independence. here. They have provided an Katy heard about ACCESS on television. important first step: identifying The most common indicators She came in, and after some counseling the vulnerable adult and calling and paperwork, she qualified for a loan that a senior may be in need ACCESS. At this point, the are listed below. Gatekeepers modification. A few problems came Senior Outreach lead, Barbara, up during the process, but Katy says could directly observe any one follows through by contacting factor or combination of the ACCESS employees Gary and Lorena Senior and Disability Services helped out tremendously. following: or doing a home visit to assess • Unkempt appearance the situation and then follows “When I got that letter that told me my • Strong odors on person and/ through with appropriate mortgage had been lowered, I could not or in home referrals to address the need or have been happier,” smiled Katy. “Then • Depression, confusion, concern. I knew I could take care of myself. I was in such danger of losing my house. And forgetfulness We all have an obligation • Substance abuse to help those most in need. without the program, I would not be • Caregiver stress Forcing assistance is not our sitting here today.” • Financial and social problems goal, but the elderly deserve to Katy said she tells anyone who needs • Physical losses be informed of alternatives and help about ACCESS. I call ACCESS the • Yard and/or pets neglected options that will preserve their “angel organization,” she says smiling. • Home needs repair independence and enhance “They helped me get back on my feet • Newspapers and/or mail left their quality of life. Serving as and keep the most important thing I untouched a Gatekeeper is an excellent own. I can’t thank them enough.” These individuals do not way to establish good public self-refer. Early identification relations. In addition, taking of at-risk elders can prevent part in a cooperative effort premature institutionalization, to maintain the dignity and abuse and neglect. independence of at-risk elders Whenever possible, can be a personally rewarding Gatekeepers are asked and satisfying experience. to provide the following For more information about the information when they call Gatekeeper Program, please Katy in front of her contact Barbara at 541-774-4324.