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Area 1 Agency on Aging reports volunteer driver and home‑share program successes; council asks about funding
Summary
Area 1 Agency on Aging reviewed its volunteer driver program and North Coast Home Share: 875 active clients for transportation services, 87 home‑share matches since 2020 with a roughly 75% success rate, and 430 inquiries in the past year; council asked about mileage reimbursement and funding sources.
Susan Clowardon, social services manager for Area 1 Agency on Aging, and Julie Andre presented the agency’s annual update on May 5, highlighting two programs that support older adults: the volunteer driver program and the North Coast Home Share program.
Clowardon said the volunteer driver program provides rides to medical appointments and grocery shopping for many older adults who cannot access public transit. Program data presented to the council showed 875 active clients since the start of the fiscal year, an average client age of about 76, and that more than half of clients have disabilities or limited mobility.
Julie Andre reviewed North Coast Home Share numbers: since February 2020 the program has facilitated 87 matches (16 matches since the last year and 13 ongoing), with a success rate of about three‑quarters of matches moving into a permanent home‑share arrangement and 75% of matches lasting six months or more. Andre said the program received roughly 430 inquiries over the past 12 months and currently manages about 270 unduplicated clients since July 2025. Local rent levels for home‑share arrangements were reported as roughly $650 a month on average, with guests’ average annual income around $19,000.
Council members praised the work and asked operational questions. Council member Fernandez asked the mileage reimbursement rate; Clowardon said it is 72.5 cents per mile and that reimbursement is partly funded by the city, some federal funds and a Department of Transportation grant. Council member Moulton observed that volunteers skew older (many are retired) and thanked the agency for outreach, and Council member Contreras Deloach asked about volunteer recruitment and community contacts.
Presenters said volunteer drivers make the program possible and invited residents to consider volunteering; they also offered to follow up with council ad‑hoc groups for outreach and technical questions.
What’s next: staff will continue volunteer recruitment and outreach and provide follow‑up information on reimbursement logistics when requested by council.
