Photo courtesy of Westerville Area Resource Ministry
The Westerville Area Resource Ministry is celebrating its 45th birthday the only way it knows how: by launching a new initiative for the betterment of the community.
WARM, founded in 1972 as Paul’s Pantry, provides short-term assistance, educational and employment services, and spiritual support to community members in need. Though WARM works to help all people in the community, this year there is a special focus on senior community members.
Just as Almina Smock, founder of Paul's Pantry, recognized the need of one family in her parish, WARM recognizes the needs of the growing and aging community.
“We recognize that the senior population is forever growing,” says WARM Director of Development and Communications Cheryl Wooten. “We are committed to helping make the lives of seniors better.”
Inspired by the growing need for senior services and its mission to do compassionate work in Westerville, WARM has launched the Senior Initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to put a focus on developing services specifically to meet the needs of senior community members.
“We try to actively address what their concerns are by visiting the senior living communities,” says Wooten.
Through a partnership with UnitedHealthcare, WARM will host an educational event at 10 a.m. Sept. 21 in celebration of National Medicare Education Week. With programming specific to senior health and wellness, along with some insurance and assistance options available to seniors, the event is emblematic of the yearlong Senior Initiative.
The event is designed to prepare seniors in the community for the Medicare Open Enrollment Period with the knowledge needed to make confident, informed decisions about their Medicare coverage. Local UnitedHealthcare representatives and a Walgreens pharmacist will address attendees’ top questions and will be available to speak one-on-one.
“Health care coverage options can be overwhelming, but selecting a Medicare plan can be simple,” says Rick Dunlop, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Medicare and retirement for Ohio. “Our goal during National Medicare Education Week is to make information easily available so people can learn about their Medicare choices and confidently choose coverage that meets their health and budget needs.”
The event is free and open to the public, but those who plan to attend should register online at www.nmew.com or call 855-603-7423. UnitedHealthcare will also host a Facebook Live broadcast on Sept. 18, answering questions about Medicare.
Ultimately, WARM wants to help its clients become self-sufficient, thus its separate program intended to help able-bodied clients find jobs. Every meeting with a WARM staff member is tailored to the individual and his or her needs, especially when it comes to senior clients.
“As people start aging (more), you have to look at the total wellness and well-being of the individual,” says Wooten.
Some senior clients are still able to work, while others are retired and/or face disabilities that restrict them to their homes. Depending on where a client is in his or her professional life, WARM’s assistance through its HOPE Program can vary greatly. An able-bodied senior may be in search of a job, in which case WARM will connect the client with a senior employment agency.
“Sometimes, seniors don’t have resources to turn to or their family members are very far away,” says Wooten. “Sometimes the hand up – not hand out – becomes a hand around the shoulder, providing support to individuals who may feel they are facing challenges alone.”
The HOPE Program empowers clients by providing assistance with budgets and personal goals, while meeting nutritional needs. Weekly meetings with senior clients allow WARM counselors to check in on clients and see how they are adapting to their changing lifestyles and if there are issues that have arisen since the previous meeting. Additionally, these meetings are scheduled so frequently to keep up with the changes in the medical industry pertaining to insurance and assistance programs.
“We also work with Cornerstone Community Church, which provides monthly meals to our senior clients,” says Wooten. “It not only provides a meal, but also a sense of community.”
Moving forward, WARM plans to form more partnerships with organizations that focus on senior needs and living options.
History Lesson
From the passion of one woman in 1972 to the passion of an organization and its community in 2017, WARM continues to serve residents in the borders of the Westerville City School District with programs and services aimed to facilitate positive change.
“(The 45-year anniversary) is a celebration of provision and transformation and of our major fundraisers,” says Wooten.
A special event to celebrate the anniversary, held July 29, invited community members and partners to come together for an evening of appreciating the past and looking to the future. Those in attendance had the chance to meet and get to know the WARM staff before sitting down for a meal together. The event then proceeded into a discussion of WARM’s history and goals for the future.
Over the past 45 years WARM has grown exponentially, transitioning from St. Paul’s Pantry in 1996. It outgrew its previous 6,300-square-foot facility and upgraded to 40,000. The growth is, in part, a product of a growing Westerville community, but it’s also the result of increased awareness and recognition for WARM over the years.
“Poverty knows no border and when things happen, the resources here make WARM an attractive option” for those struggling to be self-sufficient, says Wooten.
Jenny Wise is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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