Elders Program
Mission/Vision:
To assist Tribal Elders to live in the least restrictive, most appropriate environment possible. We work hand in hand with our intertribal departments to bring wellness into our elders lives and provide culturally relevant activities to our Elders and tribe. We do this to assist our Elders on their journey through aging.
Services & Programs:
- Elders Lunch and luncheons : Meals are Monday thru Thursday, unless stated otherwise on the MONTHLY MEAL CALENDAR. Members of federally recognized tribes over the age of 60 eat for free; all others must pay a fee of $7 per meal, and all are welcome and invited! Please call the Kitchen at 360-864-7003, before 10:00 AM to reserve a meal!
- Frozen salmon fillets for delivery or mail out (sourced through NRD)
- Home bound meal delivery service
- Respite care assistance and light chore services : The Elders program has funding to support respite caregivers within a service area, please call our Elder Care Advocate at (360)506-1260 for more information.
- Medical transportation for appointments and services : We ask that our Elders first call our Tribal Transportation service at (360)262-8585 first. They are catered to this and have a wheelchair accessible van to transport those who need more assistance with mobility. Currently, we are unable to provide this kind of support. If you do not require an ADA ride, our staff can drive you to a medical appointment. We ask at least three-day notice in advance to schedule a ride. Our staff can also pickup your medical prescriptions and deliver them to you. Please call our Elder Care Advocate at (360)506-1260 for more information.
- Prescription pick-up and delivery
- Culturally relevant activities and events
- Wellness activities and seminars
- Elders’ day trips and overnight stays!
- Care Package: Care packages consist of a small care box filled with some everyday staples, (garden fresh when available) vegetables, fruit, milk, bread, juice, tea, cereal, toilet paper, paper towels, and frozen meals. This may vary based upon our inventory, as we rely heavily on grant funding and charitable donations. Must be American Indian / Alaska Native / Hawaiian Native or spouse to receive a care package.
- Assistance and Resources: Our Elder Care Advocate can provide varying support through resources and referral assistance. Helping make calls for appointments, scheduling appointments and reminders, transportation to appointments, special long-distance transport for appointments, support by being a care person for appointments – helping to hear and communicate with doctor, etc.
- Grandma's Kitchen - a food pantry serving our tribal community with nutritious food and staples. The Cowlitz Elder's Program has partnered with the USDA/LFPA+ to provide locally grown and produced food items for those in need. Our pantry is located at the Cowlitz Village, 125 Spencer Rd, Toledo, WA, 98591, and open from 8AM-3PM. There are no income requirements, and we ask our participants to pick up once every two weeks to allow everyone a fair chance at receiving goods. If you have any questions regarding our Toledo location or pantry, please call (360) 904-5385. Every other week we deliver premade bags of our pantry items to DuPont. If you would like to inquire about the DuPont, please call (360) 946-2455 with questions.
We are always trying to improve our program, if you have suggestions, please let us know and we can see what we can do. We are a Tribally and Grant Funded program and rely on this funding to keep our programs running and thriving. Please, if you are well enough, come join us!
Must be a Cowlitz Elder (you must be 60 years or older to be an Elder), or spouse to receive services. Congregate meals and lunches are free to members of federally recognized tribes age 60 and over, and their spouse. Family members, community, and staff are welcome and encouraged to join our congregate meals at a cost to them of $7 per person.
Phone:
- Program Manager Deb Mizner (360)864-7006 or (360)600-4552
- Elder Care Advocate Trynity Manning (360)506-1260
- Fish distributor / Cook Brandy Manning (360) 324-9917
- Cook Jill Kelley (360)864-7003
- Katie Bowen Driver / Caregiver Support