Recently, the Auxiliary Members of the Orange Location organized assembly events for specialized hygiene kits designed for the elderly. Some Knights and Dames as well as other volunteers joined the Orange Auxiliary Members to help assemble the Senior Care Kits. The Orange Location Auxiliary have taken on the important task of piloting the Senior Care Kit program, under the supervision of Ken Hurley, Western Association Hospitaller. Thanks to the work being done by the Orange Location Auxiliary, the hope is that the Senior Care Kit Program will be developed at all Western Association Locations.
The distribution of these specialized senior care kits has been occurring at the St. Norbert Christian Service Good Distribution Program which serves about 90 families each week. About 15% of the people coming through the line are underserved seniors who are in need of support.
The kits currently include a pill box, a flashlight with batteries, a notepad and pen, snacks, a protein beverage, masks, lotion, hand sanitizer, tissue, and File of Life cards for emergency preparedness. The design and distribution of the kits was done in collaboration with the Office on Aging Orange County and OC Alzheimer’s Association.
In the current pilot stage, the seniors who have already received a kit, are given refills or backups for items that need to be replaced on a regular basis. So far, the seniors have been very appreciative of the kits and thankful to be seen and taken care of during this difficult time.