Spark, Flicker, Flame: Citizens Who Care still burns bright

Spark, Flicker, Flame:
Citizens Who Care still burns bright

During the 1980s, a small group of Yolo County residents were concerned about a growing lack of support for the county’s increasing number of seniors and their caregivers. By 1988, the group had transformed their concerns and ideas into a newly established organization called Citizens Who Care (CWC).

Little did this handful of citizens know that the energy they put into CWC’s formation would morph into a crucial resource and safety net for some of the county’s most vulnerable older adults. For the next three decades CWC provided weary family caregivers with a caregiver respite program. The group, comprised mostly of professionally trained volunteers, was also available as a resource for older adults who were navigating a variety of life changes and challenges. Together, they provided companionship, psychosocial support, health navigation, and a limited adult day program on every other Saturday.
Some CWC board members described their small but mighty nonprofit as a hand-to-mouth organization with an annual budget of just $182,000. Then in 2018, the CWC Board voted to merge into YoloCares with the understanding that the historic programming components remain intact, and free of charge. Because CWC had no earned revenue and it was up to the board to raise the entire annual budget, leadership saw the merger as a way to secure the agency’s future in perpetuity.

As part of the merger, three of CWC’s board members were welcomed onto the YoloCares board of directors. They include Christye Hatfield, Julie Sheehan, and Rose Choloewinski who all carry a special responsibility of ensuring that the quality and integrity of programming related to CWC’s mission remain solid. Annual spending on CWC programs now totals close to $500,000, largely due to grants from health systems and private foundations. What started as a tiny spark by a handful of community do-gooders, grew into a steady flicker and then a flame.

CWC’s adult day service, once called Saturday Club, has evolved into a full-service state-of-the-art $2 million facility named Galileo Place. The program is a licensed adult day operation in a thoughtfully appointed 4,500-square-foot building with an accompanying therapy garden. Participants enjoy a regular schedule of activities including creative arts projects, music and memory activities, a variety of games, gardening, and physical fitness. Lunch and snack times are also provided.

The Senior Peer Companion (SPC) program which supported just three individuals in 2017 is now benefiting nearly 50 Yolo County residents annually. Designed to help older adults who are experiencing challenges with age-related issues, the program connects seniors with other seniors who have navigated similar life experiences. Survey data has shown the program to be highly beneficial for seniors who are trying to overcome and cope with loneliness, isolation, depression, loss of loved ones, or other health concerns.

Among SPC clients who completed surveys (more than half), 100 percent of respondents reported improved mood, describing their attitude after seeing their Senior Peer Companion as one or more of the following: comforted, inspired, encouraged, in good spirits, optimistic, confident, refreshed, happy, peaceful, hopeful, and relieved.

• 41 % said they felt comforted and happy.
• 38% said they felt in good spirits, refreshed, and optimistic.
• 35% said they felt encouraged and peaceful.
• 32 % said they felt hopeful.
• 24 said they felt inspired.
• 17% said they felt full of energy.

Another 100 percent of respondents said they were supported in one or more of the following areas: increasing socialization, reducing loneliness and isolation, coping with anxiety and depression, loss of a spouse/family members, navigating family conflict, and providing community resources. Increasing socialization, reducing isolation and loneliness, and coping with anxiety and depression were the most common responses.

Data can tell one story, but anecdotes may provide a clearer picture of how clients benefit from programming. According to Tracy Keenan, senior peer companion program coordinator, “There was an 80-year-old woman living alone in a remote area. She was struggling with anxiety since her spouse died and was initially reluctant to share anything about her life.” However, the connection she made with her SPC volunteer motivated the client to get support for her grief. “She began to participate in community activities like exercise and language classes. The program support also helped her quit smoking,” according to Keenan.

A different client, a 78-year-old man dealing with depression and grief since his wife moved into a care facility due to her degenerative disease, was paired with another SPC volunteer who recently lost his spouse. Keenan says, “Since this connection, the client is engaging in activities and wants to volunteer to help other clients.”

Other ways the original CWC framework has been enhanced or expanded since the six-year-old merger are evidenced in both the agency’s volunteer program and in the creation of the Center for Caregiver Support. Since CWC was such a volunteer-oriented organization, YoloCares made the decision to name its agency-wide volunteer program, Citizens Who Care. The name reflects, and keeps alive, the nonprofit’s founding spirit and helps define any volunteer as a citizen who cares. These volunteers provide socialization and in-home respite visits so that caregivers can step away from their home environment with the peace of mind that their loved one will be watched over and cared for in a professional way.

The Center for Caregiver Support, another outgrowth of CWC’s original vision, provides four programmatic areas to address the medical, emotional, and practical needs of clients and their families. Offerings include case management, respite care, caregiver education, and grief support. The center will be hosting the following summer events that are free and open to the community:

Workshops and Retreats

The Sound of Music: How Music can bring more Harmony
Saturday, July 20, 10 am – 2 pm at Galileo Place
Explore complicated feelings, develop self-care tools, and connect with fellow caregivers.

Dementia Care Workshops
4th Thursday of each month, 3 pm at Galileo Place
Wednesday, July 24, 10 am – 2 pm at West Sacramento Community Center
Gain a deeper understanding of how dementia impacts your loved one and learn practical strategies to better support them as their needs change.

Support Groups

YoloCares’ Center for Loss & Hope offers a variety of support groups and grief workshops to address a multitude of losses. These groups are free and open to the public. Registration is required prior to attending. Please call 530-758-5566 or email griefsupport@yolocares.org to sign up.

To view the full list of CLH offerings, please visit yolocares.org or peruse the grief support flyers on the main hallway of Suite A outside the HHA offices.

• Anticipatory Loss: Mondays at 6 pm
• Caregiver Support Group: 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 10 am
• The Griever’s Circle: 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 6 pm
• Farewell, My Love: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 4 pm
• Mourner’s Book of Hope Reading Group: Mondays at 6 pm starting July 1