Oregon seniors forced to move out of their homes at alarming rate, but this nonprofit is changing that

For many seniors, losing independence can be devastating to their spirit, but for over 28 years, one Oregon non-profit has been doing something about it.

Store to Door of Oregon was founded in 1989 when Helen Bernstein along community members of Multnomah county took notice of a substantial amount of seniors who were too disabled to shop for groceries. They responded by creating a completely volunteer-based grocery shopping and delivery service that to-date makes overs 9,000 deliveries a year

An astounding 1 in 6 seniors are in “social isolation” which means because of factors like disabilities, lack of family support, and poverty, they are separated from the rest of society. Seniors who experience this are much more vulnerable to symptoms such as depression, dementia, suicide and are 3x more likely to suffer from food insecurity. This issue is much more common in the US, UK, and Canada as other countries prefer to have families care for their elderly until their death.

In Multnomah County alone 27% of disabled adults and 11% of seniors are living in poverty which means their income is less than $11,770 a year. With those number, it’s plain to see that Store to Door has their work cut out for them.

They receive no state funding and are completely supported by private donors. That’s why we at Oregon Daily wanted to take this moment to honor them and share the important work they are doing with the rest of Oregon

• Delivery services that are for-profit can cost over $65 a trip, making them completely unaffordable for many. Recipients of Store to Door pay only $3-5 a delivery.
• Store To Door calls their clients every week and takes orders over the phone because many are unable to use a computer. This allows the client to choose what they want to eat instead of a pre-boxed meal. Again putting their independence first.
• Keeping a senior in a care home averages a little over $100K a year, compared to $980 for Store to Door’s service, allowing the senior or disabled person to live independently.

Now that you see better the needs of our less-abled, please consider volunteering (they need delivery drivers really bad!) or donating here.

From all of us at Oregon Daily and the rest of Oregon, we say THANK YOU Store to door for the great work that you are doing!

Share this with your friends and family below:

Share

Add Comment