Headlines
The Poetic Journey of Don and Sol
Even from the very beginning, this client-volunteer match-up was unusual. I received a call with a name and a phone number from Glenda who thought my 47 year background as an English teacher made me the right person for the client and the task. She told me he was 93 years old and had been an artist and an art professor at a number of universities, especially in Pennsylvania.
I gave him a call. When he told me his address, it startled me. He started to give me directions, but I stopped him. “I know exactly where you live. My mother-in-law lived three doors away from you for nearly ten years. I’ve been over there many times.”
What Sol Carson wanted was my opinion on the lifetime accumulation of poetry he had written, some not only inspired by his paintings but also actually written on the backs of some of the canvasses. Some had been written in notebooks, but someone had typed up most of it so that I merely had a stack of poetry of about 400 pages to look through and evaluate. What he wanted to know from me was whether any of it was any good as poetry and perhaps publishable, or should he, in his words, “…just have a private bonfire some cold and rainy evening.”
Award Winning Robotics Team, join Teachers and Parents to Make Home Improvements
The Robotics Club members, including their parents and counselors, arrived at Tom and Jean Carley's house between 9:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. yesterday, January 19, 2013. There were more than 25 volunteers that came with the goal of painting the interior of the Carley's house and to build a wheelchair ramp leading to the back yard. What I experienced, while supporting Jean and Tom, could be likened to the spirit and accomplishments of what must have occurred during an old time barn raising. The participants didn't start leaving for home until 6:00 P.M. Annette and her husband, Jim, plus Kelle stayed until after 7:00 P.M. doing final cleanup touches.
The house looks great and the ramp is wonderful. Jean and Tom are ecstatic and I sensed that the Valley Christian Robotics Club volunteers were filled with fuzzy feelings upon seeing how their efforts were received. I will try to forward a video of Tom's maiden voyage down his new wheelchair ramp.
The following are some observations/impression/facts/etc.
Read more: Award Winning Robotics Team, join Teachers and Parents to Make Home Improvements
Santa Clara University Students Share Marketing Expertise To Benefit HOV
Since April, Heart of the Valley has collaborated with students from the Public Relations/Marketing and Communication Department from Santa Clara University. Both Professor Buford Barr and Professor Chuck Byer have included Heart of the Valley in their curriculum. Students, working in teams have tackled the challenge of how a small non-profit agency with no marketing monies in their budget, can get the word out to the community that we have services important to the independence of seniors. Secondly, how we can make the community aware of how they can get involved by volunteering their time, talents and treasure to keep us in a position to help our older citizens.
They presented many great suggestions regarding social networking, effective use of our website, revamping our materials, focusing more on community involvement, telling our story through videos, and designing ways to let seniors know about our Household Hazardous Waste and Pharmaceutical Waste Pick Up Programs.
We are extremely grateful for their expertise and interest in HOV and its programs. If you would like to help in implementing their ideas at Heart of the Valley, please give Glenda a call at (408)241-1571.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFER FREE HELP TO CONSUMERS
Consumers face many challenges in our ever-changing marketplace. Competition for consumer dollars is great and consumers’ budgets are tight. A dizzying array of incentives and offers are made via television, radio, the internet, in-store advertising, and print ads. Consumers benefit from competition in the marketplace but sometimes fall prey to too-good-to-be-true offers or conditional offers that are not clearly explained. Also, consumers may not know where to obtain information to confirm that certain products and services are provided or installed by properly licensed and registered professionals.
Tips For Hiring Home Care Providers
How you go about hiring home care providers will partially depend on what kind of help you are looking for. For example, hiring someone to handle shopping or yard maintenance is different from someone to provide hands-on or live-in care. However, there are some basic tips to keep in mind. Remember that the more time and homework you spend in the initial hiring process, the better the chances of success.
Archives
Upcoming Events
Subscribe to E-Newsletter
Newsletters
Twitter Feed
