Elder Love USA, a Palm Desert area nonprofit, is on a mission to help a group that often falls through the cracks when it comes to assistance: the middle class. These seniors can struggle to meet day-to-day necessities of life yet not qualify for other help.
In a recent interview, Shannon Shea, the founding executive director of Elder Love USA, talked about the values of Elder Love USA Thrift Store and how the company functions. Shea also explained how their nonprofit focuses on helping middle-class seniors who don't meet the low-income threshold to receive assistance.
"I founded Elder Love USA to specifically help this forsaken group of middle-class seniors by providing the same care for a fraction of the cost. The key to our success is that we are structured as a nonprofit. As such, we are able to apply for grants, have fundraisers and accept donations," Shea said in a recent interview.
The standards of professionalism and quality service are just as important for a nonprofit as for a money-making enterprise, she said.
"Make no mistake, Elder Love is a corporation (albeit a nonprofit), and we have over 30 W-2 employee caregivers. Each caregiver is carefully screened, background checked and trained," she said, adding "We offer the exact same level of professionalism and training as any other for-profit caregiving agency."
Elder Love has grown over the last six years to serve seniors in San Bernardino and Riverside County, and what's next for this driven organization is further expansion.
On those goals, Shea said, "We are working on expanding our reach to all of Southern California and the greater Phoenix area. We are also looking at providing help with small home repairs and the installation of safety and fall prevention aides."
Shea discovered the plight of middle-class seniors while interning for six months at Huntington Beach Senior Center while pursuing a bachelor's degree in gerontological social work. She discovered that "99 times out of 100" the middle-class seniors she was working with couldn't qualify for additional assistance based on income, and she realized that the problem impacted many seniors. It was this experience that sparked her interest in starting Elder Love USA, according to the nonprofit's website.
Elder Love USA provides critical-care caregiving services to adults aged 65 and older who are near or at the poverty line. All of the company's clients fall into this category, and if Elder Love USA didn't step in, many would have no recourse but to dial 911 for assistance.
Additionally, Shea shared a story about a client named Betty who is an 89-year-old "fiercely independent retired kindergarten teacher." Betty, who lives alone and recently stopped driving, struggled to stay safe and perform household chores. She was referred to Elder Love by her physical therapist when she couldn't afford home-care agencies at the going rate of at least $30 an hour for a four-hour minimum. Elder Love has been helping Betty stay safely at home ever since.
Another way that Elder Love USA lends a hand is through its thrift store and boutique in Palm Desert. The thrift store aims to make shopping fun by offering free champagne and snacks on Fridays 3 p.m. to 5p.m., as well as a "spin for your discount" wheel all day on Friday. Elder Love is a nonprofit that takes a unique approach to helping seniors in the area.