COMMUNITY SERVIC MEANS GOOD BUSIN
The Ritcheys have provided vital assistance to local seniors . The annual Glenn & Connie Ritchey Community Service Award event has raised more than $ 1 million for COA .
Volunteer James McCord works with COA employee Connie de Prado on New Smyrna Beach meal delivery .
Truist Financial Corporation and Duke Energy supported COA ’ s delivery of meals and PPE to isolating and homebound seniors in our community .
Since 1967 , Council on Aging of Volusia County ( COA ) has been providing services to foster independence and prevent the premature or unnecessary placement of seniors in nursing homes or other institutions . We work to ensure that our clients remain safely , comfortably , and with dignity in their own homes through several programs , including Meals on Wheels , which delivers nutritious meals and provides critical wellbeing checks to homebound seniors ; in-home services such as personal care , light homemaking , meal preparation , and transportation ; chore services ( light “ handyman ” projects ); guardianship ; respite care ; senior center social , educational , and fitness activities ; and more .
In 2020 , due to COVID restrictions , we temporarily closed our senior centers and dining sites . In response to these shutdowns – in addition to the fact that so many more of our elderly neighbors began to selfisolate – our annual meal deliveries increased by 50 %, at times reaching a 500 % spike in weekly meal provision . We began offering virtual senior center activities , launched a telephone reassurance program , and instituted Grab n ’ Go drive-thru meal operations . We also provided our Meals on Wheels clients with COA Care Kits , which included hand sanitizer , face masks , and even toilet paper ! Recognizing the special importance of pets to isolated seniors , COA partnered with Hush Puppy Haven to roll out our PetMeals on Wheels program , providing pet food and supplies to our Meals on Wheels clients in need of a little help with their furry family members . COA is grateful to the multitude of generous individuals and businesses in our community that have supported our programs on a long-term basis as well as those who step forward during crisis . These supporters include ( but are by no means limited to ) B . Braun Medical , Bank of America , Patty and Earl Colvard / Boulevard Tire , Cici and Hyatt Brown / Brown & Brown Insurance , DEX Imaging , Halifax Health Continuing Care , Nancy and Lowell Lohman / Halifax Enterprises , Connie and Glenn Ritchey / Ritchey Automotive Group , Truist Financial Corporation , and many more .
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