Volunteer Effort – Hundreds Strong - Provided DOROT Senior Citizens with Food and Companionship
New York, NY (PRWEB) February 06, 2014 -- On Sunday, February 2, cold weather essentials were delivered to the homes of 450 frail and homebound seniors in Manhattan and Westchester County – a well-timed event that occurred right before snow blanketed the area. Hundreds of volunteers dispersed to ensure older adults had items that would help them through the winter, and to help relieve some of their social isolation by visiting for an hour. DOROT’s Winter Package Delivery is an annual program which provides elders with vital services at a time when extreme weather can exacerbate their solitude.
Volunteers of all ages participated, including a variety of community and professional groups. DOROT’s Package Deliveries also offer families with young children the opportunity to be involved and make a real difference. They delivered food, tea, lozenges and gloves, and provided an outlet for the elders to socialize – much welcomed by those who are confined to their homes, especially when the cold and snow further limits their mobility.
A senior participant who resides in Westchester received a visit from a family volunteering together. She told us, “DOROT has opened up a new world for me. I have met such wonderful people who are intelligent and interesting. I never thought I would be able to have such a conversation again.”
Many older adults live alone with ailments that keep them indoors. These conditions, coupled with extreme weather, creates significant challenges for vulnerable seniors and makes DOROT’s Winter Package Delivery imperative to help older adults maintain independent lives in their homes for as long as possible. The assistance of dedicated volunteers helps address this need of the elderly at a particularly isolating time, and provides a mutually beneficial and satisfying experience.
DOROT’s Holiday Package Deliveries program, now in its 38th year, brings hundreds of volunteers to the homes of frail older adults to help dispel their loneliness. DOROT alleviates social isolation among the elderly and provides services to help them live independently as valued members of the community. We serve the Jewish and wider community, bringing the generations together in a mutually beneficial partnership of elders, volunteers and professionals.
Catherine DiTuri, DOROT, http://www.dorotusa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage_DOROT, +1 (917) 441-3745, [email protected]
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