Neighbors Care Alliance
on Social Security and/or a small pension, and cannot afford to use Lyft, Uber, or a taxi service. The city transportation Sun Van isn’t always convenient and can cause the client to have to wait for longer periods of time. This longer wait can create more pain and discomfort for the client. So, as you can imagine, our clients love our program and depend greatly on our organization for their transportation. Eastside Neighbors Volunteer Program drivers and phone coordinators are all volunteers. I have to say that we have the BEST volunteers, and they do what they do because they believe in giving back to the community and helping people. So, to all volunteers everywhere, I say thank you!
It is hard to believe that the new year is here. 2023 was a very busy year for the Eastside Neighbors Volunteer Program. We had numerous challenges facing us, as I am sure most volunteer programs also had. There is always a need for more volunteers. Between the snowbirds that leave for the summer and don’t return until October-November and then the things that can arise with the volunteers themselves, it is always a challenge. In 2023 alone we drove over 31,433 miles! Wow! This is with approximately 44 active volunteers driving. You can imagine the # of hours that we all must put in too. We help approximately 80 clients each month and provide various services for them. These services include transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping for them, grocery shopping with them, going to the bank, and pharmacy. We do have boundaries that the prospective clients must live within. That is why we are called EASTSIDE Neighbors Volunteer Program. Those boundaries are Tanque Verde/Grant-Irvington and Swan- Houghton. We do drive outside of those areas depending on where they need to go. Our volunteers mean the world to us so every year we hold a special event recognizing them and treating them to food and entertainment. Last year we held
ENVP Coordinator Agustin Urquidi reaches out by phone
it in November. Next year we will be doing the event in April, which is also volunteer appreciation month. Like all non-profits, we are always needing donations as that is where most of our funding comes from. We are a 501 C3 and Arizona tax credit organization, so all donations can be deducted off donors’ income taxes every year. Donations can be made through our website: www. tucsonenvp.com, by mail, or by coming to the office. Anyone interested in volunteering with us can apply on our website. If you are unable to do that, you can call us at (520) 245-4729 and we will get you an application. You can drive as much or as little as you want. But every little bit helps us, and our clients. Our clients are usually
Article Written by ENVP Volunteer
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Page 32 | January/February 2024, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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