Lahari Appoints Executive Director

— from Don Webster, President, Lahari Board of Directors —

Lahari, an Orcas Island 501(c)3 non-profit organization is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis King as our Executive Director. Dennis brings a wealth of experience in managing entrepreneurial organizations and a passion for solving problems that face seniors and the disabled on Orcas Island.

As Lahari’s Executive Director, Dennis will focus on building our existing programs but also will investigate other opportunities for us to serve our senior and disabled residents. He will initially investigate possibilities to meet the needs of islanders who can no longer drive.

Long-time islanders may remember that Lahari was the name of the hospice facility that was built near Deer Harbor in 2004. A beautiful, peaceful location, it’s usage as a hospice facility was limited as our independent islanders who required hospice care preferred the option of obtaining that service in their own homes. Lahari set out to redefine the organization’s mission. The hospice facility had been designed to create the ability to pass through that end-of life experience on Orcas Island. Our updated mission became “To provide education, resources and support to assist aged or infirm people with living on Orcas Island up to and including provision of hospice care.” We believe it builds on the spirit of the original Lahari Hospice intent.

While we still provide on-island assistance to volunteers who provide in-home hospice care, our main focus is now on improving life for seniors and disabled individuals on Orcas Island. Our Orcas Safe Homes Project is providing free, no-obligation home safety evaluations for seniors, undertaking minor maintenance tasks and arranging for more substantial changes that will improve the safety for seniors in their homes.

Lahari has also been underwriting and organizing classroom and online Caregiver Training sessions for those in this profession as well as interested family and friends who provide some level of unpaid caregiving to their loved ones.

Lahari has identified other possible areas where we might be able to provide or assist in the development of services that will assist seniors and disabled with living on Orcas Island. As Executive Director, Dennis will greatly enhance our ability to provide our existing services while also assessing other opportunities for projects that are aligned with our mission and have a meaningful impact.

Dennis can be reached at 1-888-685-1475 or Dennis.King@LahariOnOrcas.org

You can also visit our website www.LahariOnOrcas.org.