AVENIDAS PRESENTS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION TO ROCHE PALO ALTO
Palo Alto, Calif., March 11, 1999 -- Avenidas, serving persons 50 years of age and older and the caregivers who assist them, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Roche Palo Alto officers and employees for a recent, generous $7,500 contribution. This gift will be used for the operation and maintenance of a sixteen-passenger vehicle customized to accommodate physically handicapped persons. Avenidas operates three busses daily, providing transportation service to seniors who would otherwise be unable to make roundtrips from the senior's home for supermarket grocery shopping, trips to the Senior Day Health Center and trips to La Comida's Senior Nutrition Program which provides hot lunches and is housed in the Avenidas building in downtown Palo Alto. The gift from Roche Palo Alto will support the van that takes older adults grocery shopping and brings them to La Comida.
Presenting the Certificate of Appreciation to Roche Palo, Avenidas president and CEO Kathleen Gwynn stated, "Our specially equipped wheelchair-lift vans provide safe and comfortable travel for older adults no longer able to drive. The van's drivers are part of our service staff. They are the agency's "eyes and ears" in that they alert other staff members to any physical or other changes participants are experiencing."
John Sink, vice president in charge of Individual and Family Services for Avenidas added, "Our transportation services provide a vitally important connection to the oldest group of individuals we serve. Over a year's period of time we provide more than 7000 trips each year and travel more than 36,000 miles."
The new van was displayed on the Roche Palo Alto campus for Roche employees to inspect. Accepting the Avenidas commendation were Dr. James N. Woody, president and general manager, Roche Palo Alto; Dr. Joyce Filppi, site head, Global Development and vice president, Early Strategic Planning; and Pat Zempol, deputy head, U.S. Clinical Operations.
Dr. James N. Woody said, "Through our partnership with Avenidas, Roche is helping to make this a healthy community. We are pleased to support the operation of an Avenidas van which enables seniors to maintain their independence and quality of life."
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