Seniors living in outlying areas of the county will have greater access to services without the need to travel to Eureka at two outreach events planned for Trinidad and Redway in April.
Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services’ (DHHS) Mobile Outreach vehicles travel to locations around the county each month, providing a range of services for children, families and adults. When program staff heard from the manager of a local mobile home park that many of its older residents were unaware of resources like CalFresh, they scheduled a stop in that neighborhood.
DHHS Program Coordinator Doug Moyer said, “It was eye opening to see firsthand the difficulties faced by seniors, many of them living on fixed incomes. We were able to offer them some assistance and link them to essential services.” That experience led to additional outreach tailored to seniors, most recently in Weitchpec. Moyer added, “Those are the connections we want to build on so we can help bridge the gaps between service providers and more remote communities.”
The first outreach event is being coordinated in partnership with the Trinidad Rancheria and scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1 Cher-Ae Lane in Trinidad. During this time, Food for People will distribute fresh produce at the Trinidad Library park (380 Janis Court). A free shuttle service will transport attendees between the two locations.
The second outreach event is scheduled one week later on Tuesday, April 9, at the First Baptist Church in Redway from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
A variety of agencies and providers will be present at one or both events to offer one-on-one support to elders. Those include Humboldt Senior Resource Center’s Adult Day Health & Alzheimer’s Services, Food for People, Family Wellness Court, Eureka Vet Center, Area 1 Agency on Aging, Healy Senior Center, Heart of the Redwoods Community Hospice, Southern Humboldt Community Clinic and Legal Services of Northern California. Representatives from DHHS programs, including Public Health Nursing, Healthy Communities, Public Guardian’s Office, Veterans Service Office and In-Home Supportive Services, will also be on hand.
During both events, staff from Public Health’s Fall Prevention Program will offer Tai Chi instruction to encourage attendees to work on their balance.
For more information, call the Mobile Outreach Program at 707-441-5041. To view the monthly calendar, visit humboldtgov.org/383/Mobile-Outreach-Program.
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