Volunteers Helping Seniors
Filed under Blog · Tagged: Los Altos, Los Altos Town Cirer, Quality of Life, Volunteering
What began as a simple desire to help fellow residents, has blossomed over the past 8 years to include almost a dozen cities and hundreds of volunteers. The focus of all this care an compassion? Our senior citizens. Through the years, Carol & I have been a part of many coordinated efforts. The RSVP program, is once such effort.
The day of volunteering was recently covered by the Town Crier. Below are highlights from a recent article which highlighted how the program has helped to improve the lives of those assisted …
More than 100 Realtor volunteers helped 46 senior households, in the Los Altos and Mountain View area, during Realtor Service Volunteer Week.
Volunteers from Intero Real Estate Services & the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors helped seniors and the homebound with household. Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with a blue-and-yellow logo that identified them as members of the Realtor Service Volunteer Program, workers descended on households to help homeowners and renters with chores they can no longer perform by themselves.
Seniors were grateful for the free service. “I really appreciate the help,” said one 84-year-old senior, who has requested help for the past two years. “I still do quite a bit of the work myself. I even used to climb the stepladder, but my son gets worried about that, so I don’t do it anymore.”
Three volunteers visited her home to wash exterior windows, move a stove and refrigerator so she could clean underneath and replace her smoke-detector batteries. When a volunteer climbed the stepladder to replace the battery, he noticed there were none. That sparked a memory for the senior homeowner.
“I remember taking it out, but I never replaced it, because I couldn’t reach to put the new one in,” she said. Local Realtors officially adopted RSVP as a community outreach project in 2002, and it has since expanded to include realtor association members from other cities and counties.
Every May, these volunteers help seniors and the homebound with household tasks, such as washing windows, installing smoke-detector batteries, flipping mattresses, vacuuming, dusting, replacing light bulbs, changing furnace filters and trimming bushes.
Outside the home of a 90-year-old Mountain View resident, the team of Carol Casas, Hilda and Nick loosened dirt in a flowerbed, swept the patio and carport, trimmed ivy in her front yard and washed windows. “My children have gone and moved away, so it’s wonderful to have help. I couldn’t do it any other way,” the homeowner said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Volunteering – A Los Altos Theme
Filed under Blog · Tagged: City Council, Employee Relocation, Family Fun, Quality of Life, Volunteering
Over the past week, since I was appointed Los Altos Mayor by my fellow Council Members, I’ve been asked at least once a day about the many opportunities to volunteer in the community. For background, Carol & I have always enjoyed giving back to the Los Altos community. It has become a part our lives, just like so many others in town.
The great thing about the conversations I have had is hearing about the depth and breadth of volunteering these individuals have done themselves. As residents, they’re collectively, and individually thankful to live in such a great community and volunteering was their way of giving back. This is a common theme in town.
Los Altos represents many things: strong schools; a great place to raise a family; a close-knit community; wonderful residents. Additionally, Los Altos has many venues, organizations and activities which provide multiple opportunities to get involved. Clearly, there is something for everyone to channel their energies on giving back to the community.
Some residents jump right in when they move into town, while others may defer to a later date when they have time to volunteer. The great thing about Los Altos residents is that they have so much to offer, and the organizations they engage with are always grateful to have their help.
While there are many unsung heroes, who are a part of the tapestry we call Los Altos, there are various recognition events that highlight individuals who stepped forth to volunteer.
One such event is this coming Friday, where Los Altos and Los Altos Hills will honor a select group of residents who selflessly give of themselves to make the world a better place. I go each year to this event, and walk away with a sense of awe at the level of contribution these individuals have made.
If you are looking to volunteer in town, send us an email. We would be happy to help you find the right organizations to match your personal interests. The Holidays are a great time to volunteer. You never know where it will lead you.
Finally, if you are looking to move into Los Altos, or simply move across town, we are confident that we can help you with that too. Call us today at 650-823-1434. We would love the opportunity to earn your business.
About Us
Moving into Los Altos? We can help! We have lived in Los Altos for the past 35 years and love helping people buy and sell homes in this great city! We bring experience, knowledge, skills and professionalism to each of our client relationships. Our clients will agree they would not have had the same positive experience, at each step of the way, if they had not had us represent them.
David Casas Cell: 650-823-8920 or Email
(DRE#01116954)
Carol Casas Cell: 650-823-1434 or Email
(DRE#01123855)