Mystic Valley Elder Services to participate in Make A Difference Day

On October 25, 2003, the Family Caregiver Support Program and the Volunteer Department of Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) will be participating in Make A Difference Day, the national day to help others. The project will be delivering “Thanks for Giving” baskets to caregivers who help elders. MVES will fill the baskets with baked goods, craft items, gift certificates, and other items that are donated.

MVES staff and volunteers helped prepare the caregiver baskets.

In the U.S. there are approximately 7.3 million individuals who provide unpaid help to disabled older people living in the community. Many of these caregivers are not retired and struggle to balance work, children, and caregiving. MVES’ Family Caregiver Support Program and the Volunteer Department are celebrating Make A Difference Day by recognizing the hard work of caregivers living in the area.

Millions of Americans across the country are expected to spend Saturday, October 25th, doing volunteer projects to improve their communities and help neighbors in need. The day is the largest community service effort in the nation, rallying corporations, government leaders, charitable organizations, and everyday Americans into action on one day.

On the last Make A Difference Day, a record 2.2 million volunteers participated and an estimated 22 million people-in-need benefited. $2.6 million was distributed to the charities of volunteers. Projects have ranged from a countywide cleanup involving thousands of people to a mentoring program in which members of a sorority provided one-on-one support to 35 underprivileged children.

Please contact Ann Glynn, volunteer coordinator at Mystic Valley Elder Services, at 781-324-7705 ext. 209, if you are interested in participating in the project and making a difference.