Senior Center Announces New Hearts and Hands Director

— from Sara Boyle for Orcas Senior Center —

The Orcas Senior Center (OSC), the Orcas District of the Senior Services of San Juan County 501(c)3 nonprofit organization continues to grow.  Starting November 1, 2017, Tom Eversole has been hired to direct the Hearts and Hands Program (H&H), which provides home visiting companions. His initial focus will be on engaging and strengthening support for those volunteers.

“Hearts and Hands provides an invaluable service to folks in our community, who are isolated, lonely, and may have difficulty performing ordinary activities of living at home,” said Eversole. While not a home health care service, H&H volunteers provide regular, ongoing companionship and can help participants access other appropriate levels of care if needed.

“I think my first task is to meet our currently active volunteers to make sure they are getting the support and training they need. As the program becomes more solid, we can accept more volunteer companions and participants,” Eversole said. “With proper support, H&H has the potential to expand its scope of services and to strengthen its collaboration with other community services that fill needs we don’t.”

Tom comes to OSC following a career in mental health and public health. He provided mental health services to people with HIV/AIDS at Johns Hopkins Hospital and worked with the HIV/AIDS training program for the American Psychological Association. In Oregon, he served as Public Health Administrator for Benton County and later administered the Center for Public Health Practice for Oregon Health Authority.

Tom lives in Deer Harbor and enjoys hiking and community theatre.

For more information on the Hearts and Hands Program see  orcasseniors.org/hearts-hands/