Ventura, Calif. – The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) is extending a call to action to the community and local schools as we relaunch the Holiday Greetings Campaign, which aims to reach older adults and people with disabilities who are living in Ventura County. The VCAAA is seeking greeting cards that are handmade or premade with a short holiday greeting written inside. Cards will be distributed as part of the VCAAA’s meal service and care management programs. The first phase of the campaign will focus on Thanksgiving, while phase two will focus on the winter holiday season.

Thirty percent of Ventura County’s older adults are living alone, and the isolation, loneliness, and depression many of them are experiencing worsened during the COVID-19 crisis. With the holiday season quickly approaching, the VCAAA recognizes that this is the most critical time to extend not only our services to these populations, but also our care and support.

The VCAAA has received more than 15,000 letters and cards from the community since the Letters of Support and Holiday Greetings campaigns were initially launched in 2020. Those interested in participating should send completed greeting cards to the VCAAA through December 17^th. Greeting cards may be mailed to, or dropped off at, 646 County Square Drive, Suite 100, Ventura, Ca. 93003. Please notate VCAAA Holiday Greetings Campaign on the envelope. All cards will be reviewed and then delivered to older adults and people with disabilities throughout Ventura County.

The VCAAA continues to encourage family members and neighbors to safely connect with loved ones who may benefit from similar holiday greetings, and from support with grocery shopping or other errands. It is extremely important to keep open lines of communication to help minimize the isolation so many Ventura County residents are experiencing.

Community members interested in participating in this program may e-mail jannette.jauregui@ventura.org for more information, or call (805) 477-7306.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, an agency of the County of Ventura, is the principal agency in Ventura County charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities to live in a community-based setting and to advocate for the needs of those 60 years of age and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.

Media inquiries may be directed to Jannette Jauregui, VCAAA Public Information Officer, at (805) 477-7306.