ECHHO

ECHHO Staff & Volunteers
Help Raise Public Awareness
by Marching in 79th Annual Rhody Parade

This year, as in previous years when ECHHO has participated in the Rhody Parade, the audience cheered their appreciation for ECHHO as our volunteers and staff passed by. Riding in Walt's truck, decorated with Rhododendrons for the occasion, we felt the gratitude and appreciation of our neighbors who's lives have been touched in such an important way by ECHHO. The Rhody Festival is always a treat for the community, showcasing many of the organizations that help define who we are and what we value as citizens of this wonderful corner of the world.

And in ECHHO science news for this month ...

At the end of 2013, we had ten years of data in our computer system and it seemed a good time to look at who we were helping and how much we were doing. When O3A asks us for statistical data we provide counts for seniors - people over 60 in their system - though many of us don't think 60 is so old any more. It seemed worthwhile to start there.

We looked back over ten years of service to count the folks who were 60 + at the time of service. The answer was 3806 Unique individuals 60 and over in ten years. If you look at the 2010 census, there were about 11,200 individuals 60 and over in the whole county and certainly a few more by 2013. You also have to add back in people over 60 who died during that period to get the number of people 60 and older who lived here during those ten years. We estimate the number of people 60 and above in the whole population of the county during that time was about 14,800. So, roughly speaking, ECHHO has served 26% of people 60 and older in the county in the last ten years - roughly one person in every four. We have a graph for that and a great big "ATTABOY" for our volunteers.

Our Local Radio Station KPTZ
Raises Public Awareness
of ECHHO's Need for Volunteers

Have you heard our Public Service Announcements (PSA's) on KPTZ radio 91.9 FM? Thanks to our community minded radio station, the word about ECHHO's need for volunteers is getting out to a wider audience. One of the great things about living here is that so many people want to contribute their time and energy as a community volunteer. There are all kinds of opportunities for folks to serve their fellow citizens, yet we are constantly surprised at how many people we encounter who are unaware of ECHHO. As our monthly service statistics reveal, we are serving more and more people at a steadily increasing rate.

We are always trying to recruit additional volunteers for ECHHO. The more folks there are to share the effort, the easier it is for everyone. We also try to recruit in every part of the county to be as efficient as possible in putting volunteers together with care receivers. You are the folks who know about ECHHO and see the value in what we do so we hope you can help us get the word out. If you know of someone who might enjoy driving for ECHHO, please encourage them to call us at (360)379-3246. So many depend upon the service we provide. When folks retire from volunteering for ECHHO, it is essential that the torch is passed to new volunteers who will continue to shine the light of hope for so many who need help. Thanks for your efforts in making ECHHO what it is today and what it will continue to be in the years ahead.