Pasco Elderly Nutrition (PEN) Pals

About the Program

Category: Volunteers (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

Since 2010, the Pasco County Elderly Nutrition Program, a Division of the Pasco County Community Services Department, lost over 50 percent of its staff due to budget cuts. In an effort to continue to provide the same level and quality of service to elders, the Division staff proactively created and implemented efforts to engage individuals and increase volunteerism. These efforts resulted in the creation of a volunteer network of 425 Pasco Elderly Nutrition (PEN) Pals. PEN Pals play active roles in assisting with all aspects of the Elderly Nutrition Program from calling numbers at bingo games, to preparing and packaging nutritious food, to delivering nutritious meals and other supplies to homebound elders. The sole qualification for a PEN Pal is the willingness to perform a task on behalf of the Division with energy and enthusiasm. Due to innovative staff efforts, PEN Pals have increased approximately 70% since 2010. The donated efforts of these PEN Pals is equivalent to 22.70 full time employees, saving the Elderly Nutrition Division approximately $315,000 in labor costs during 2012 and ultimately impacting the lives of over 800 Pasco County elders every day.