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    Volen Center Anounces New Emergency Support Fund for  Seniors

February 10, 2010 – Boca Raton, Florida – The Volen Center, a leader in providing senior services in South Florida, has received a donation through the generosity of an anonymous donor that will be used to provide emergency assistance to seniors living in Palm Beach County. Available to seniors 60 and older, funds from the Volen Center Emergency Fund for Seniors will be used to aid seniors faced with unexpected expenses.

The Emergency Fund will cover the cost of prescription medications, food assistance, temporary housing relief (mortgage payments, rent, temporary shelter), utility payments/reconnection, medical supplies and services, and other emergency expenses. Income will be factored into selection of individuals to receive the award, but will be only one of several factors considered in selection.

Individuals and organizations who know of seniors who live in Palm Beach County and who need of emergency assistance are being encouraged to support seniors in need to prepare and submit applications for aid. Guidelines and an application can be requested from the Office of the President/CEO of the Volen Center or downloaded from the Center’s website. All applications must be submitted by mail with original signature and documentation as described in the guidelines for submission.

For further information, contact the Office of the President/CEO, The Volen Center, 1515 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33486, or call 561-395-8920, ext. 216.

The Volen Center is a 501(c)(3), private, not-for-profit multi-service senior service agency based in Boca Raton, Florida. Founded in 1968, the Center’s mission is to enhance the well-being of South Florida Seniors, family caregivers, the disabled, and their families by educating and advocating on their behalf and by providing health care and supportive services that meet their physical, emotional, social and psychological needs.  

Guidelines and an application

Center Receives AAA Service Provider of the Year Award

On May 25, 2010 at the Annual Meeting of the Area Agency on Aging – Your Aging Resource Center, the Volen Center received the Agency’s 2009 Outstanding Service Provider Award, which recognizes an organization that has demonstrated exemplary leadership and innovation for the betterment of seniors in support of independent living. It was noted that under the strong leadership of Elizabeth Lugo, President/CEO, the Volen Center has developed a comprehensive advocacy program with more than 100 seniors having been trained to be active advocates. Several hundred Holocaust Survivors have participated in a series of programs designed for them to meet, share and bond with others who experienced that terrible time in history. In partnership with the YMCA, The Volen Center has just opened a unique intergenerational program for preschoolers ages 3 – 5 at its Boca Raton facility. For more than 40 years the Volen Center has been a life line for countless seniors.

Also recognized was Judy Uzzi of MorseLife, who received the 2010 Pinnacle Award, which is presented to an outstanding employee of an organization within the Aging Network. Described by nominators MorseLife President/CEO Keith A. Myers and Communications Manager Greg H. Goodman as “one of the strongest leaders at MorseLife”, Judy offers guidance, council and referral to help families struggling to enable their older loved ones to remain independent in the comfort of home. Judy is a hero to seniors and their families.

Last year’s recipient of the Robert L. McFalls Leadership in Aging Award, AAA CEO Jaime Estremera-Fitzgerald, presented the 2010 Robert L. McFalls Leadership in Aging Award to Barbara Kauffman, President/CEO of the Council on Aging of Martin County. Since assuming the position in 1995, Barbara has demonstrated Stephen Covey’s four imperatives of leadership: “Inspire Trust”, “Clarify Purpose”, “Align Systems”, and “Unleash Talent.”

Center Regains Lead Agency Role

After a 2-1/2 year hiatus, the Volen Center has regained its position as lead agency in Southern Palm Beach County. On May 20, the Area Agency on Aging Palm Beach/Treasure Coast, Inc., announced the awarding to the Center of the 2009-2011 contract for Community Care for the Elderly, Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, and Home Care for the Elderly in Southern Palm Beach County, beginning July 1, 2009. The Center previously served as lead agency from the mid - 1970s until September 2006.

Elizabeth Lugo, Center President/CEO, acknowledged the award saying, “We are overjoyed to regain the position of lead agency and look forward to renewing our relationships with the many seniors and family caregivers we worked with for so many years. The loss of the grants in 2006 was a traumatic experience for the Center. Many of the elders who were transferred to another provider for this brief period were like family, and those of us who remained at the Center felt a real personal loss.”

The Center’s mission is to enhance the well-being of South Florida Seniors, family caregivers, the disabled, and their families by educating and advocating on their behalf and by providing health care and supportive services that meet their physical, emotional, social and psychological needs. A major effort has been underway over the past several years to improve and enlarge its programming. Membership in the Center’s active senior program is now almost 660 and another 500+ individuals are active volunteers (including members of the Center’s new Advocacy volunteer group) or regularly attend the Center. In the past two years, the transportation program has been revamped and renamed “The Volen Community Coach”, to better reflect an increasing level of service to a broader segment of the community. In January 2009 the Center received national accreditation under the National Institute for Senior Centers.

Lugo noted that the number of community partners and friends of the Center has grown significantly in the past months. “When people need to rest, they take vacations. Organizations don’t get a chance to do that and the past two years have by no means been a vacation, but they have certainly been a time of renewal. We have expanded our community partnerships and connections throughout the region and the state. We are in a better position to advocate for the seniors and families we serve and for our colleagues in the service network Between now and July 1, the Center will be adding necessary staff and implementing an intensive training program for both current and new staff members. And, we look forward to working closely with the Area Agency on Aging to continue to advocate for seniors in our community and ensure that their needs are met."

Center Continues Expansion

In case you haven’t noticed, the Volen Center is busier than ever and will be getting even busier as the year goes by.

One of the most obvious changes is in how many new people are attending the Center and how many members we have. Over 1,000 people regularly attend the Center, and 747 of them are members. We give about 100 tours a month, and about 25 of the 50+ year olds who tour join. Some time during the first quarter of 2010, Center membership will reach 1,000 plus.

On January 4, 2010, the Schmidt Family YMCA Child Development Center at Mae Volen will finally open. On July 1, the Center returned to the role of lead agency in southern Palm Beach County. A lead agency is an organization chosen through competitive bid by an Area Agency on Aging, a division of the state’s Department of Elder Affairs, to support the distribution of funds through programs like Community Care for the Elderly and the Older American’s Act. Regaining this role required the Center to expand staff and further increase its outreach into the community.

Also on July 1, the Center took over management of the Adolph & Rose Levis Alzheimer and Adult Day Care Center, which is located on the campus of the Jewish Community Center. This spacious, comfortable day care site provides space for 46 individuals and offers a kosher-only meal service.

Finally, the Center is expanding its programming to incorporate special events for Holocaust survivors, outreach to the gay and lesbian community, and many other offerings to better serve the community. Take a look at the Volen Center Quick Reference Guide that follows – and keep the Guide handy. You never know when you or a friend may need it.

Child Development Center Now Open!

January 4, 2010, marked the opening day of the Center’s long-awaited child development center. The Schmidt Family YMCA Child Development Center at Mae Volen opened its doors bright and early to its first students.

Provided through a partnership between the Peter Blum YMCA of Boca Raton and the Volen Center, the Child Development Center will be directed by Beth Reyer, Child Development Director, and provide a diverse, child-directed curriculum based on the Reggio Emilia model. This innovative model encourages exploration, creativity, and self expression. The children themselves guide the learning experiences through their interests. With the support of specially trained staff, activities support healthy social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development in a nurturing environment that is responsive to each child’s need. 

The beautifully equipped classroom and action-oriented playground offer young children an endless variety of learning opportunities. The children will enjoy everything from unique projects they manage themselves to toys to recycling projects to active play in the colorful space housed in the Volen Center’s Ruth and Baron Coleman Pavilion.

Seniors who attend the Volen Center will be invited to participate as volunteer aides and mentors for the children. Senior mentors will assist regular staff and also work with staff to develop special mentoring units based on their life experiences and skills, such as programs on the significance of the 4th of July, the senior’s hobbies such as toy collecting, and gardening.

The child development center will provide 3- to 5-year-olds with general child care and voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) services; maximum enrollment is 28 children. Fees for the general program are $650 per month for YMCA Family Members and $760 per month for nonmembers. Fees for the  Extended Care program will be $430 for YMCA Family Members and $550 for nonmembers.

For more information on the program or to enroll your child or grandchild, call Beth Reyer, Child Development Director, at 561-395-8920, ext. 296.