A Lane County agency that provides assistance to elders and adults with disabilities is going mobile. The new Senior & Disability Services vehicle is an office on wheels, ready to pull up and help community members with challenges.
Independence, dignity and choice. This credo is at the root of everything Senior & Disability Services does. Maybe a person needs help with a food stamp application or finding out if they’re eligible for long term care or wants to sign up for Meals on Wheels.
Standing at the door of the brand-new transport van, Contracts Manager Marisa Andrews said the wheelchair accessible outreach vehicle breaks down barriers, especially for rural clients.
“We do have full-service offices in Cottage Grove, Florence, and here in Eugene," she said. "But you may not live here. You may not be able to get to our office. You may not have cell service to reach us. You may not have internet. We’re able to bring this vehicle really wherever there’s parking.”
Andrews said her agency will develop a calendar in the new year, with dates, locations and times for the mobile office visits throughout Lane County. In addition to postings on the Senior & Disability Services website, the information will also be shared on social media. The agency is looking for host sites throughout rural Lane County where they can pull up and provide services in 2025. Andrews said grocery stores, community centers, granges and libraries would be excellent host sites.
Senior & Disability Services is a division of the Lane Council of Governments and helped about 6,000 people last fiscal year.
The mobile outreach service vehicle was purchased with grant funds from Trillium Community Health Plan.
