The St. Johns County Council on Aging held a Kentucky Derby-themed celebration to thank its volunteers April 14 at River House in St. Augustine.
The “Derby Day” volunteer appreciation party featured Kentucky Derby cuisine, prizes and entertainment. Guests were encouraged to don their best Derby attire, including Kentucky Derby hats for women and bow ties for gentlemen.
The COA operates five senior community centers in St. Johns County and two adult day care centers. Each week, the agency delivers more than 300 Meals on Wheels while also offering resources for caregivers, information on health and wellness, and classes and activities for seniors including writing, exercise, painting, yoga, book clubs, movie clubs and a senior singles social club.
Many of those activities involve volunteers, who in addition to delivering Meals on Wheels assist with answering phones, planning activities, cleaning tables, washing dishes, serving food, rolling silverware or driving a bus or a van.
“Here at the Council on Aging, we are in the unique position of having a team of over 900 volunteers who show up whenever they can, to do whatever is asked, in order to help whomever is most in need,” Communications Coordinator Susan Johnson said. “That might mean assisting an elder resident who can’t mow her lawn, or it could mean delivering food to a homebound senior citizen in need of a nutritious meal and some company.”
