“There’s no place like home.”

While that saying is probably best known as a line from the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” it also expresses Community Caregivers most basic goal — to help people remain in their homes­­. Fittingly, the organization has chosen “There’s No Place Like Home” as the theme for its 23rd Annual Gala, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Colonie Golf & Country Club in Voorheesville.

Greg Floyd, news anchor at WRGB Channel 6, will be the gala emcee again this year. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the presentation of awards. Dancing to the music of the Bluz House Rockers will begin at 9 p.m.

In keeping with the theme, the Joseph A. Bosco Community Service Award will be presented to Susan Hennessy and Mark Hopper, co-directors of the Guilderland Food Pantry. Prior to marrying, both Sue and Mark had spent decades volunteering for various causes — local, national, and international.

Clearly, community service is very important to each of them. So, when they retired from their careers as teachers, they looked for a ministry they could share. They chose the Guilderland Food Pantry. Under their direction, the GFP, which was formed in 1979, incorporated in 2015.

Last year, the gala featured a “wine pull.” This year, there’s a new twist. Great bottles of wine will be paired with restaurant gift cards — a “wine and dine pull!”

There will be a silent auction featuring art, jewelry, and other items as well as gift cards to local businesses. There will also be a live auction, featuring auctioneer Ralph F. Passonno Jr., president of Uncle Sam Auctions & Realty.

This year’s live auction includes such items as a Disney World package (including Park Hopper tickets and a week at an Orlando timeshare), two season tickets to the Siena Saints 2017-18 basketball season (includes several premiums), and a two-night stay at the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid (with breakfast and a gift certificate toward dinner at the inn).

Sponsors are important partners in the success of the gala. We are extremely grateful for the support of this year’s sponsors: Adirondack Environmental Services, Albany Medical Center, The AYCO Foundation, GCOM Software Inc., The New York Business Development Corporation, American Association of Retired Persons, Capital district Physicians’ Health Plan, Glenmont Abbey Village, and an anonymous donation honoring all caregivers and volunteers.

The gala is one of two annual fundraising events held by Community Caregivers. All proceeds go to support the programs and services it provides to caregivers and their families. Tickets are $125 per person.

For more information please call Community Caregivers office at (518) 456-2898. The deadline for reserving your ticket is Nov. 9. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New  Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.

Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.

Neighbors helping neighbors. Friends helping friends. Even strangers helping strangers. We’ve heard these phrases in the last two months too many times in the aftermath of hurricanes and earthquakes and tornadoes and shootings. The generosity of people helping each other in these catastrophic episodes has touched us all.

It’s not uncommon for people far removed from these events to reach out to local helping agencies. Community Caregivers would welcome you. Let me tell you exactly what’s involved to help you decide. In June I sat through an orientation session, which is required of all volunteers.

Linda Miller, Outreach and Education coordinator, had four new recruits. She began by asking them why they were considering volunteering for Community Caregivers.

One said she had the summer off and wanted to help. She was also nearing retirement and thought she would explore the organization for possible retirement activities.

A gentleman said he wanted to drive for a food pantry. We drive for two.

Another woman said, “I want to give back. CC helps me. I can help them.”

The last woman said she was new to the area and, since she had volunteered where she lived before, she wanted to continue here. Her daughter, she added, went online to see what volunteering opportunities were available in the Guilderland area. She chose CC.

After the introductions, Linda proceeded to give some history of the organization. She told the group what Caregivers does, the services it provides, the area we serve, how clients reach out, what volunteers do, and how our staff connects client and volunteer.

You fill out some papers. You give some references and indicate what services you’re interested in providing and when you’re available. It’s emphasized that you can change the day or days you volunteer. You can change the service or services you provide. You can say, “No, I can’t today.” We’ll call again.

Once you’ve had your orientation, and your references and Department of Motor Vehicles checks are made — this takes about two weeks — Mary Morrison, the client/volunteer coordinator, will call with an assignment.

Mary says a volunteer has an average of two to three assignments a month. “We don’t want to burn them out,” she says.

Once assignments are made, confirming emails with the client and appointment information are sent via email so the volunteer has all the relevant data. Lastly, the volunteer is asked to give a report to the office regarding time and mileage. Forms are available online. The staff also requests that volunteers inform Caregivers of any change they observe with the client.

Caregivers is very strict about 10-day notifications/requests from clients. The purpose is to insure the request can be filled. Mary emphasized that she tries to keep the location of client and volunteer near each other to keep mileage down.

Why do we always need new volunteers? Mary says there are many reasons for people to drop out. Their lives change. They move. They get sick. They go on vacation. Family issues come up.

Right now, we have 160 active volunteers and 200 active clients. Since 1996, we have had 1,200 to 1,300 volunteers in the database. Mary said, “That means all the volunteers who have ever ‘passed through the portals’.”

The more volunteers you have, the more leeway you have so you don’t have to overload anyone. That’s it. Think it over. If you have the time, others, your neighbors, would appreciate your help. Call the office at (518) 456-2898 to find out the next orientation date. You’ll make a great addition to the team.

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Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New  Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors. Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.

Community Caregivers began in 1994 in the village of Altamont. The co-founders — Dr. Joel Edwards, Victor Ross, and Mary Therriault — were ahead of their time by creating an organization dedicated to “neighbors helping neighbors.”

With lots of caring and generous individuals, we have grown and flourished for the last 23 years. We like to say that Community Caregivers represents a “village” of caring neighbors. However, credit for starting the “Village Movement” nationally goes to Beacon Hill Village in Boston.

In case you are not familiar with the term, “villages” are membership-driven, grassroots not-for-profit organizations run by volunteers and/or paid staff that coordinate access to a variety of programs and services to help older adults stay in their own homes for as long as possible. The “Village Movement” began in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston in 2001 with Beacon Hill Village.

On Thursday, Sept. 14, the Albany Guardian Society will be hosting a daylong community forum entitled “Aging in Community: The Village Movement” at the Hearst Media Center in Albany. The forum includes national speakers on the Village Movement, including Susan McWhinney-Morse, co-founder of Beacon Hill Village.

The forum will include an overview of the future of aging in community, the origins of the Village Movement, the components of operating and developing a Village and presentations by six Villages on the unique programs and services they offer. The goals of the forum will be to provide information on incorporating and operating a Village, to review best practices, and to allow for networking opportunities.

The Sept. 14 forum will also serve to introduce the Capital Region Villages Collaborative, which is comprised of individuals, agencies, organizations, and Villages interested in forming, operating, and supporting Villages in the New York State Capital Region. Community Caregivers is an active partner with the Albany Guardian Society in launching the Capital Region Villages Collaborative.

Anyone who is interested may attend the forum, but space is limited and registration is required no later than Sept. 7. The time is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; registration begins at 8:15 a.m. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. The location is the Hearst Media Center, 645 Albany-Shaker Road, Albany, New York 12211, which is at the north end of Wolf Road in a new conference venue at the Times Union building.

You may register either by calling Albany Guardian Society’s registration phone line at (518) 269-3976  or by sending an email to the Albany Guardian Society at with your name, phone number, and email address. Please note “September 14 Village Forum” in the subject line.

Albany Guardian Society is one of the Capital District’s oldest not-for-profit charitable foundations. Founded in 1852, its mission is to engage in a wide range of endeavors including education, research, information, and community engagement that will improve the quality of life for seniors, family members, and their caregivers.

Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors. Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.

Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for Community Caregivers Inc.

We all know that exercise is good for our health and that it helps us feel younger than we would otherwise. And summer is the perfect time to exercise outdoors.

But still, if you’re like me, it’s hard to make the time to exercise. The National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, has tips which might help you (and me) find the time for physical activity and stick with it. Remember to check with your physician before beginning a new exercise program.

Making the time:

— Establish a new morning routine by exercising early in the morning before your day gets too busy;

— If you don’t have 30 minutes to be active, look for three 10-minute periods throughout the day instead. You might walk at lunchtime for 10 minutes or more;

— Combine physical activity with a task that is built into your day. This might include walking the dog and doing household chores or yard work.

In addition to setting aside the time, you are more likely to adhere to your fitness plan if you keep exercise interesting and enjoyable;

— Try new activities to keep your interest alive. Consider signing up for an exercise class through a health and fitness club or your school district’s continuing education program;

— Try swimming outside this month at a local pool; and

— If you are an older adult, your local office of senior services sponsors exercise programs at a modest cost.

Experts disagree on how many days or weeks it takes to create a habit, like exercising regularly. Charles Duhigg, who wrote “The Power of Habit,” suggests that the easiest way to implement a new habit is to write a plan. He writes that, to form a habit, a cue needs to trigger a routine that then leads to a reward.

Personally, I believe that the process might work as long as my fitness reward does not include ice cream!

The National Institute on Aging sponsors a Go4Life campaign which has excellent information on exercise and physical activity for older adults. The website can be found at www.nia.nih.gov/health.

Community Caregiver, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New  Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors

Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.

Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for Community Caregivers Inc.