Published July 2002

Elderly, disabled get helping hand through VCS

By John Wolcott
Herald Business Journal Editor

Don't tell Lynn Lagreid that volunteerism is dead, that people no longer care about helping others in their communities or that money is more important than a grateful smile. Lagreid doesn't believe it.

Even in today's fast-paced age of self-focused living — stereotyped by such frequently heard comments as "me first," "I'm too busy," "it's not my problem" and "how much does this job pay?" — she knows there are many people in Snohomish County who are ready to volunteer to help others.

As the volunteer coordinator for Catholic Community Services' Volunteer Chore Services in Everett, Lagreid spends one whirlwind day after another matching volunteers with elderly or disabled adults who need help with housekeeping, laundry, transportation to appointments, shopping, cooking, errands, minor home repairs and yard work.

"So many people need help. We get calls from doctors' offices, rehabilitation centers, neighbors telling us about those who need help ... typically people living alone, most of them women, often in frail health, with incomes of $400 to $600 a month," she said.

Individual volunteers, cash donations and groups for larger projects come from a variety of sources, she said, including teen clubs, service groups such as Rotary and Kiwanis, from United Way and HUD grants, Catholic Charities and the city of Everett. Catholic parishes in the county help, too, plus a long list of Protestant churches and the Boy Scouts, 4-H clubs, Campfire, Marysville-Pilchuck High School Key Club, schools, businesses and their employees — along with groups of retirees such as the Boeing Bluebills, one of her prime supporters.

Time commitments vary from a one-time project to a couple hours a week, said Lagreid, who finds time in her own tight schedule to participate in such things as yard cleanup projects and visiting an elderly woman for breakfast conversation and assistance each Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. before going on to work.

"Many seniors today have no family living near them, or their children both work and have commitments that prevent them from giving as much care to their elderly family members as they would like to. That's where VCS can help," Lagreid said.

There are some 400 clients served by the Everett office, with volunteers being matched by location, skills and interests as much as possible, she said.

"The interaction between the young and the old, including the kids, is wonderful to see," she said. "A lot of long-term friendships and relationships have been formed."

In a recent VCS newsletter, Lagreid praised Glen and Kim Singleton, owners of Maid Brigade in Mill Creek, a home cleaning franchise service that partnered with VCS in June 1999 to help senior clients twice a month. Today they clean one home each week for seniors, at no charge.

"They've expressed their belief in a deep sense of community obligation ... to help make conditions better for those less fortunate," Lagreid wrote. "They are business owners who 'walk the talk,' sacrificing time and economic gain for the good of others."

Much of the funding for Volunteer Chore Services comes from the state legislature. Two decades ago, it was statewide budget cuts that left more than 4,000 elderly people without chore services, and led to the grassroots creation of Volunteer Chore Services to fill the gap. The program was so successful that the state awarded Catholic Community Services of King County a small grant to operate and expand the program.

Over the years, VCS has proven to be a cost-effective program for serving the needs of low-income elderly people, and functionally disabled adults, in all 39 counties and on two Indian reservations in the state.

Today, after 21 years, VCS is even more in need of volunteers to serve a larger, growing, elderly population in Snohomish County and the state. While some seniors qualify for DSHS in-home assistance, others do not and cannot afford services on their own. Volunteer coordinators like Lynn Lagreid make the program thrive.

"Lynn has a passion for it," said Jerri Mitchell, Director of Volunteer Services for the Everett CCS office.

Recently, the Snohomish County Family Center in Everett also became a host for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), now known as the National Senior Service Corps, to involve active seniors in helping other seniors and others.

"There are more than 1,200 seniors in Snohomish County who are involved in community service with police departments, schools and other groups," Mitchell said.

Catholic Community Services (CCS) a nonprofit agency of the Seattle Archdiocese of the Catholic Church, is the second-largest social service body in Washington, just behind the state's Department of Social and Health Services. The Everett/Snohomish County Family Center is one of several such centers that are focal points throughout the state for delivering CCS programs.

Volunteer Chore Services is only one of many CCS endeavors that range from chore services and AIDS ministries to food and clothing banks, emergency assistance, life skills training and pregnancy support.

Further information about Catholic Community Services and its Volunteer Chore Program is available by calling Lagreid at 425-257-2111, Ext. 3303, or 888-240-8572 toll-free, or by visiting the Internet at www.ccsww.org.

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