Benevilla brings elder support to new location
Non-profit opens an office in Litchfield Park
As the southwest Valley grows, so do the needs of its elderly community.
Benevilla, a West Valley non-profit that helps with errands and home care, primarily for older adults, has opened a new location in Litchfield Park, hoping to address those needs.
In early January, the new location started providing grocery shopping, handyman services and "phone pals."
Benevilla's main location, in Surprise, offers additional programs that range from therapy with pets and restorative therapy for individuals experiencing moderate Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or a fall-induced injury. The non-profit has six-day programs for those who need assisted bathing or social interactions. It also provides some services for children, families and people with intellectual disabilities.
The new location serves as office space to coordinate volunteers in the southwest Valley, but leaders hope to offer similar programs at both locations in the future.
The southwest Valley has about 46,000 people over 50 years old, according to a Benevilla study from December. Overall, 11,000 individuals are living in multigenerational housing with a senior citizen, the study found, and the overall needs of the elderly community are growing.
That study, combined with a growing number of calls for help from people in the southwest Valley, prompted Benevilla's senior director of marketing, Jennifer Lawless, to begin the search for a location there.
An assisted living and memory-care community in Litchfield Park, Hacienda Del Rey, offered the non-profit office space. Lawless said Benevilla hopes to have its own space there in the future, so the organization can offer more of the services they have at the Surprise location.
Benevilla’s services are provided by volunteers and donations. The organization has a 1,000member volunteer base that Lawless refers to as “neighbors helping neighbors.” She said the ratio of volunteers to staff members is currently 9 to 1.
Michelle Dionisio, CEO and president of Benevilla, said she believes the volunteer base and the demographic of the volunteers at the non-profit make it unique among assisted-living programs in the Valley.
“Many of the volunteers are older adults themselves, so they have a real understanding of what people are going through,” Dionisio said. “These people are doing it because they are passionate about helping people stay in their own homes and have purpose and equality in life.”
For the first few months, a new sevenmember advisory council will provide services as a "labor of love" while volunteer recruitment takes place. In the next year, however, Lawless wants to recruit as many as 70 new volunteers and clients. For now, many of the volunteers are coming from the northwest Valley.
Most Benevilla volunteers have regular clients and operate on a set schedule. There is no minimum number of hours needed to become a volunteer. All volunteers undergo training, and some positions require a background check and fingerprint clearance.
Volunteers run errands, such as grocery shopping, drive clients to appointments and help clients with their finances.
“Benevilla gives community members the chance to give and receive help,” Lawless said. “We create really remarkable relationships between volunteers and clients. It’s a very rewarding experience.”
Sun City resident Linda Keyes, 73, has volunteered with Benevilla for three years at Birt’s Bistro, Benevilla’s restaurant and bookstore in Surprise. She started as a part-time hostess and now manages the donated books with another volunteer. She said she volunteered because she wanted to give back to the community and be a part of an organization that supports the elderly.
“The best part of Benevilla is the fact that all their programs benefit people in the community and help to enable people to stay in their own homes,” Keyes said. “It’s a wonderful staff to work with, and a very caring community.”
Dionisio said she believes Benevilla is vital to the community because seniors are living longer and want to stay in their homes and remain connected to a community.
Benevilla celebrated its 35-year anniversary and honored Dionisio for her 25 years of service on Jan. 30.
“Thirty-five years ago our nation wasn’t even thinking about that kind of support for older adults. People were expected to go into nursing homes,” Dionisio said. “It’s much more prevalent to see people choosing to stay in their homes, and I really believe that we are the front-runners for aging in place and giving people that opportunity.”