Action Teams step up to help seniors

Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC) “Action Teams” received a $5,000 grant from The Ford Family Foundation (TFFF) to focus on their COVID-19 response.

The grant will be split between the STARS “Action Team” and the newly formed Linked Villages — Sisters “Action Team.”

Launched March 1, the Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) provides a free, all-volunteer ride-share service for round-trip transportation for non-emergency medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond.

The TFFF grant and the active cooperation of local merchants will allow the STARS drivers to pick up and deliver pre-paid orders for groceries and healthcare products from Ray’s Food Place, Sisters Drug, Bi-Mart, Oliver Lemon’s and The Smokehouse. Prepaid prescriptions can be picked up and delivered from Sisters Drug.

To arrange a ride or delivery call 541-904-5545 on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Two-day advance notice is strongly recommended.

The other half of the TFFF grant is funding a rapid startup of the Linked Villages of Sisters Country with COVID features enabled that allow a neighborhood to locate their members, match need requests with volunteers, provide “buddy check-ins” and communicate information of importance quickly and easily to the members. The Village will also be able to direct available resources where they are needed: such as masks, grocery and meal delivery, etc. (The latter will be coordinated with the STARS program).

The Village concept offers more than just the COVID-19 applications and strives to develop a multigenerational network that strengthens the social fabric of a neighborhood. It is being rolled out neighborhood-by-neighborhood in our area as volunteer team leaders reach out to AFSC. Tollgate is underway piloting the first Village. Others are invited to join by contacting Chris Laing, AFSC Board Liaison at linked [email protected]

The first Zoom meeting of the Tollgate neighborhood was held April 17 with 20 members attending. The next will be April 23. Residents of Tollgate who wish to attend may contact Jane Killefer, the team leader in Tollgate, at [email protected]

The Villages Action Team will use the Tollgate Village as a hub and expects to add and support other neighborhood Villages as they form.

AFSC thanked The Ford Family Foundation for quick and decisive action in providing support for Sisters Country during the COVID-19 challenge.