December 5, 2006

Volunteer organization recognized for providing crucial transportation
services for western Santa Clara County seniors

Santa Clara nonprofit Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors received the biennial Doris W. Kahn Award for Accessible Transportation from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in recognition of its achieving significant improvement in escorted transportation services for the elderly.

Glenda Cresap, executive director of Heart of the Valley, receives the Doris W. Kahn Award from John McLemore, MTC Commissioner and vice-chair. Behind Glenda are (front to back) Stan Zecha, Heart of the Valley (HOV) volunteer; Lea Adams, HOV office manager; Dell Boccignone, HOV board member; JoAnn Chamberlain, HOV volunteer; and Ted Chamberlain, HOV board member.

Heart of the Valley’s 120 volunteers, using their own vehicles, drive more than 700 seniors in western Santa Clara County to medical appointments and other errands, logging 33,000 miles in 2005. In addition to driving, which these seniors cannot do on their own, Heart of the Valley volunteers also write out instructions from doctors, push grocery carts, carry and load packages and whatever else is required. The result is that seniors, who might otherwise have to move into assisted living, can live independently, maintaining their connections and contributions to the communities they live in.

Heart of the Valley MTC Award
Because Heart of the Valley volunteers donate their time and use of their vehicles, lower-income seniors benefit, the need for expensive social services is reduced, and social bonds are nurtured. According to one elderly client, Rose Cornbleet, “The service has helped me tremendously. You’re right with somebody, they stay with you the whole time, and you feel very secure.”

Stan Zecha, a retired Lockheed Martin analyst and a Heart of the Valley volunteer for eight years says, “I like to help people, and Heart of the Valley is a great organization. It’s very rewarding.”

The Doris W. Kahn Award for Accessible Transportation is one of 10 “Excellence in Motion” awards presented every other year by the MTC over the last 27 years to people, projects and organizations making exceptional contributions to Bay Area transportation. Other award winners include U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, urban neighborhood activists who reclaimed local streets and a high school that convinced students to carpool to school.

In 2007, Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors will celebrate its 20th year of helping local seniors avoid isolated or institutional environments and continue to live independently in their homes, connected to their communities and a sense of well-being. Heart of the Valley serves Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Campbell and six zip codes in West San Jose.

Given today’s byzantine requirements of health care plans, seniors must often travel great distances to see approved medical providers. In light of the number of Heart of the Valley volunteers who are themselves lower-income, The Valley Foundation of Los Gatos provided a generous grant in 2006 to reimburse those volunteers for their driving expenses. The Valley Foundation (www.valley.org) works to improve health care and medical services for lower-income households within Santa Clara County.

Heart of the Valley, Services for Seniors, Inc., also receives support from the city of Santa Clara, Orchard House, Inc., the National Council on Aging, and the Bentzien Trust Fund.

For more information on this and other services for seniors offered by the volunteers of Heart of the Valley, call (408) 241-1571 or visit www.servicesforseniors.org.