Hello, friends and supporters.

I wanted to take a moment to give you all an update about ElderNet’s services and operations as we navigate a changing landscape with the COVID-19 virus.  While the Governor’s most recent mandate closed non-essential services, ElderNet is an essential service for the vulnerable members of our community.  This being said, ElderNet will be modifying our services to ensure the health and safety of our participants, volunteers, staff, and greater community.

General Operations

ElderNet’s administrative offices will be closed beginning March 17, 2020 and will remain closed until the COVID-19 virus is no longer deemed a public health threat.  Though our offices will be closed, staff will be working remotely to continue serving our vulnerable populations.  All phone calls, voicemails, and emails will be responded to in a timely manner by a member of our dedicated staff. 

Care Management

In person care management services have been suspended and all engagement will be done by telephone call.  Since the onset of the COVID-19, we have begun checking in with and will continue to check in with participants by phone very regularly to ensure their needs are being met.  All new referrals for services will be contacted within two business days and an intake will be completed by phone.  Once we resume regular business operations, all new participants added during this time will be scheduled for an in-person meeting.

Volunteer Services

ElderNet’s Volunteer Services program will not be accepting any new transportation requests for the next two weeks.  For those appointments that have already been scheduled, ElderNet will ensure that participants receive the services requested. We will continue to deliver food from our pantry to those participants who are unable to come in person. Community members interested in volunteering to pack and/or distribute grocery bags at our pantry should contact Michelle Buller, Volunteer Coordinator, at [email protected]

Community Resource Center and Food Pantry

ElderNet’s food pantry will be temporarily moving away from its full choice model and begin distributing pre-packaged bags of food to community members facing food insecurity.  To encourage social distancing while at our pantry, bags of food will be distributed outside of ElderNet’s food pantry.  On March 16^th, our food pantry distributed over 80 bags of food to the community to help stem the immediate need for food in the community.  For the remainder of the week, all food related assistance requests will be handled on a case by case basis.  Beginning the week of March 23^rd, ElderNet’s food pantry will resume its regular hours of 10:00 am until 11:45 am and 2:00 pm until 3:45 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  However, the pantry will continue to distribute pre-packaged food outside of the pantry.  ElderNet will reassess the situation every two weeks to determine when we are able to resume our full choice model.

As we prepare to see an increase in food insecurity in the community, ElderNet’s food pantry is in need of your support to ensure that we can continue to meet the community’s needs.  Please click here to access a list of the items our pantry is in need of.  If you would like to avoid going to the grocery store or arranging an online delivery, please consider making a donation to ElderNet by clicking here.

Thank you all for your continued support of ElderNet and the community members whom we support.  The COVID-19 virus has brought about rapid, drastic changes to our lives and it is hard on everyone.  While we are all managing this in our own ways, please remember that there are community members who are in need of extra support during this time.

On behalf of ElderNet’s staff and Board of Directors, we hope you all remain healthy and safe. 

Sincerely,

Brandon Trombetta

Executive Director