iCare Partner Highlight: SeniorServ

Through our iCare initiative, we get to work with some of the greatest organizations that are dedicated to make our world and community better. Last month, our employees donated a little time and a lot of creativity to SeniorServ, an Orange County-focused support system for homebound seniors.

Get to Know SeniorServ

Website: www.communityseniorserv.com

SeniorServ is devoted to helping seniors stay healthy, nourished, and cared for in their own homes—and they offer support in the shape of Meals on Wheels, Senior Lunch Programs, Care Circles, as well as Day Services. For senior citizens who are homebound due to health problems or age, days can be both long and lonely. It’s SeniorServ’s mission to alleviate the burden of being homebound and provide meals, support, and community to those who need it most.

Delivering and serving over one million meals each year, SeniorServ is devoted to helping seniors live independently in their homes and remain a part of their beloved communities. By offering nourishing meals to homebound seniors, SeniorServ nourishes more than bodies—they work hard to help those who need a healthy meal maintain their independence and dignity along with their wellness.

They serve over 11,000 people each year, resulting in improved quality of life, reduced isolation, a friendly support network, and a strengthened bond with the community. When people see their quality of life improve through support and community, the results speak for themselves. SeniorServ has helped increase community health for those they serve in so many ways, including fewer hospital visits, shorter hospital stays, and significant, lasting decreases in depression. Their service truly makes a difference.

An Opportunity to “Serv”

It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day grind of work emails, conference calls, and to-do lists. And it’s even easier to forget that the day-to-day life of other people, even within our very own communities, can be so incredibly different from our own.

In an effort to help our community, we teamed up with SeniorServ to help them as they help others. Our team made placemats to accompany the meals delivered through SeniorServ’s Meals on Wheels initiative. In an effort to bring a little sunshine into their day, iCare volunteers created whimsical, colorful placemats over a Lunch and Learn session at work—donating a bit of their day to a very worthy cause.

Taking some time out to create the placemats, Mele Tuuholoaki, Front Desk Administrative Assistant, said, “I thought it would be a good break in the day to do something meaningful for someone else. I enjoyed seeing how intentional everyone was while making the placemats and how unique each one was.”

Not only was the time donated for a good cause but the event created a purposeful atmosphere of its own. Michelle Lindley, Human Resources Coordinator, noted that “I knew that creating this placemat would not only brighten someone else’s day but also let them know that someone cares and they are not forgotten about. What I enjoyed most about the project was that I was able to let my creative juices flow as well as being able to interact with my co-workers.”

The event was a great success. 20 employees were introduced to SeniorServ’s organization, program, and activities to learn about how they could get involved that day, and in the future. Through a little effort and a little creativity, the iCare team that day created almost 30 placemats. Those who receive them know that someone else in the community is thinking of them and wishing them well.