We want to highlight the hard work of a Dallas nonprofit and a dedicated woman who is doing something good for local seniors.
Marsha Evans of The Senior Source runs their Friendly Visitor Program, which normally brings volunteers into assisted living and nursing home facilities to spend time with seniors.
“So many residents have no family, some are estranged from the family some hardly ever get visitors. So that interaction from the outside was a lifeline for them," she said.
However, with those facilities on lockdown, many people are still cut off from the outside world.
“Can you imagine when you have a small room, you may have a roommate or you may not? Can you imagine how lonely and isolated those residents have been for almost a year?" she said.
But the haven't stopped Evans.
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“We just had a flip a switch and say, OK, we can’t go in person but we’ve got to do something where we can do it remotely and virtually," she said.
When the pandemic hit, she immediately transformed her program to make sure seniors are never forgotten.
She organized nursing home car parades and outdoor musical performances. She's hosted donation drives of snacks, games and iPads to facilities in need and rounded up crafty volunteers to create meaningful greeting cards for residents.
"The greeting cards are very important. There are some residents who haven’t gotten mail, there’s some residents who don’t get cards on their birthday or don’t get cards at all," she said.
And just as important, Evans organized hundreds of volunteers from across the country and world to connect with residents through FaceTime calls and Zoom parties. The volunteers connect with seniors virtually on a regular basis, keeping them company, playing games or simply having a chat with them.
“I look at it as paying it forward, as long as we are living, we one day will grow old and we may have to be in a long-term care home. And we just hope that we have people that will do the same thing for us," she said.
Evans' volunteer force works with more than 300 senior facilities in Dallas County alone, impacting thousands of residents.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for The Senior Source Friendly Visitor Program or donate supplies, click here. You can also email Marsha Evans directly at MEvans@TheSeniorSource.org.
If you would like to make a monetary donation to The Senior Source, click here.
