CAREGIVERS: Volunteers Assisting The Elderly

The mission of CAREGIVERS is to provide a reliable personal relationship between one volunteer and one elder in need of assistance, in order that the elder may avoid premature placement in a care facility. Neighbor helping neighbor, people linked together in a bond of faithful service and support; cherishing the precious gift of life in a spirit of thanksgiving and love -- that is the CAREGIVERS community.

Description:
Through the generosity of time and effort, CAREGIVERS provides assistance with household tasks, letter-writing, gardening, reading, transportation and other necessities to frail elderly men and women in the cities of Camarillo, Ventura, Oxnard, Fillmore, Santa Paula and Port Hueneme. A youth program, "Building Bridges" trains teenagers to the realities of aging and connects them with seniors needing help with a major or heavier project. We provide training and a recognition event each year for all the volunteers who work with our agency.

History:
In 1984, we received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to start an Interfaith Caregiver program in Ventura. Through the wonderful help of five churches we secured enough volunteers to begin our program. Since 1984 CAREGIVERS has continuously served an ever-expanding range of frail homebound elderly in our community. In 1989 we expanded the services into the Cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore. Five years ago, we started our Intergenerational program called(Building Bridges) We have over 100 youth volunteers helping seniors with yard work, vacuuming and other things they can no longer accomplish. In 2005 we expanded into the cities of Oxnard/Pt. Hueneme and in July of 2007 we were able to add the city of Camarillo.

Contact person: Courtney Darrough, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (805) 658-8537

Address:

CAREGIVERS, 1765 Goodyear Avenue, Suite 205 Ventura, CA 93003 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.vccaregivers.org

Directions:

From 101, take Telephone Road West (toward the ocean); at Market, turn left to Goodyear, Make a right on Goodyear, enter the first driveway to your right.

Last updated on June 1, 2010