North Fork Senior Connections

North Fork Senior Connections

ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY FOR NORTH FORK SENIORS

Each year NF Senior Connections works with local farmers, food producers and caterers to deliver nourishing foods to home bound, isolated and/or food insecure seniors.  We organize a team of volunteers to prepare and deliver food to senior households through the valley; a farmshare of fresh produce during the growing season and nutritious soups and stews over the winter months.  These weekly visits also provide important social contact for home bound seniors.

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LIVING

Senior Connections was established with the core purpose of assisting seniors to live independently in their own homes as long a possible.  To that end, we organize a large cadre of community volunteers, in the spring and fall of each year, to assist rural seniors with seasonal home maintenance chores.  Tasks range from raking leaves, cleaning gutters and pruning vegetation to washing windows and preparing swamp coolers for the coming season.  Entire families, active adults and students work together to help their neighbors age in place and in community.   Our Handy Helpers program is an extension of these services, providing similar services on an "on-call" basis.

NEIGHBORLY RIDES

Our rural valley has no public transportation, and this presents a serious obstacle for seniors needing to get to medical appointments, do grocery shopping or attend senior programs. Our "Neighborly Rides" provides a hotline seniors can call to schedule free transportation for such needs.  Rides are provided by volunteers and have the added benefit of social connections for both parties.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

Senior Connections partners with the Paonia Senior Center, Delta County Libraries and other venues to offer a wide variety of programming to combat social isolation, provide personal enrichment, and foster connections within our community.  Seniors gather regularly for singing, sewing, book discussions, meditation, memoir writing, gardening education, therapeutic movement, pot luck lunches and other activities.  

SENIOR CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER

Each month, Senior Connections staff prepares a newsletter of helpful information, thoughtful articles, and a calendar of upcoming programs, classes and events sponsored by NFSC and other local organizations.  This newsletter goes out to hundreds of seniors throughout the valley, alerting them to senior meals programs, free senior movies, exercise classes,  book groups, walking clubs, and a range of other programs and activities available in our community.