NEIGHBORS CARE ALLIANCE
Corona Cares By Ellie Abraham, Coordinator
month, we donate toiletries, socks, and protein snacks for teens in need. During the holiday season, we select a teen from the Angel Tree to help brighten their Christmas. In 2024, we proudly received our 501(c)(3) designation. In 2025, we were awarded a grant from Trico, which allowed us to create safety kits for our volunteers and recipients— something we had hoped to do for many years. Each kit included a fire extinguisher, fire blanket, night light, flashlight, and a bladeless desktop fan to help ease the summer heat. We are grateful to Trico for making this possible.
for helping her feel connected and supported. Messages like hers remind us of our purpose: we are neighbors helping neighbors. ◆
Corona Cares has proudly completed its fifteenth year of serving the Corona de Tucson community. Over the years, we have supported more than 70 residents, and today we continue to assist 16 active recipients. While we have offered a variety of services, the most significant need in our rural area continues to be transportation, followed closely by friendly phone calls, friendly visits, and caregiver relief.
The Neighbors Care Alliance (NCA) is a network of neighborhood volunteer programs with a shared mission of helping older adults thrive safely in their homes for as long as possible. The programs serve specific geographic areas, and each is independently organized. Pima Council on Aging serves as the program administrator and provides tools to build infrastructure, volunteer training, opportunities for networking, access to community resources, and mileage reimbursement. The Neighbors Care Alliance is more than just a collection of volunteer programs. Through a tapestry of local initiatives, the NCA weaves a stronger, more compassionate social fabric one ride, call, or visit at a time. Does your neighborhood have an informal neighbors-helping-neighbors program that would benefit from support? If not, would you like to learn how you can start one? ◆ FOR MORE INFORMATION visit nca.pcoa.org or call Christina Walker, PCOA Volunteer Services Program Manager at (520) 258-5062.
Our work is strengthened by meaningful partnerships throughout the community. These include the Corona de Tucson Fire Department, American Legion Post 109, Corona de Tucson Community Alliance, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and four Vail schools in our village. The fire department distributes our brochures during safety checks, and Post 109 generously hosts a weekly Fellowship Day that offers socialization, a light lunch, and a community Thanksgiving dinner. Corona Cares provides transportation so our recipients can participate in these gatherings. Working with the Community Alliance, we also supply snacks to school pantries for children who arrive hungry. Each
Corona Cares exists because of our dedicated volunteers. Without them, our work simply wouldn’t be possible. The gratitude we receive from our recipients inspires us to continue serving. Just today, we received a heartfelt note from a recipient who recently moved to the area, thanking our volunteers
Page 16 | January & February 2026, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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