East Falls celebrates launch of aging in place initiative

After years of meetings and a six-month “soft” opening, East Falls Village is now officially open.

Last month, about 100 people gathered for a reception, complete with music by Richard Harner, to celebrate the Village.

Members and other interested persons enjoyed refreshments from the Epicure Café and Shan Chuan.

Special guests were State Senator Vincent Hughes, who helped provide the funding for the EFV feasibility study; Lydia Hernandez Velez, the City’s Deputy Managing Director for Aging; and Christopher McGill, President of East River Bank, which co-sponsored the launch party.

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They joined Charlie Day, EFV Steering Committee Chair, and Tom Sauerman, East Falls Community Council President, for a ceremonial cake-cutting.

East Falls Village now has 96 members, representing more than 49 households. It also has a number of vetted volunteers, who are ready to provide assistance, such as transportation for medical appointments, grocery shopping, or other errands.

Transportation

Why use EFV for transportation? It’s free to members, on time, and door-to-door. It’s better than calling and waiting for a cab, depending on SEPTA, or having to ask friends and family to fit trips into their busy schedules.

Thursday Morning Walks

Meet at the Falls Library Garden for walks through East Falls and a stop at a café — Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m.

Word Spreads about East Falls Village

As one of the volunteer phone answerers for the EFV phone, I was amazed to find a message from Fairbanks, Alaska! It was not a wrong number but a request for information about EFV from a woman whose father had recently moved to the area. She said he is “not ready” for assisted living but could use “some help.”

She would be especially interested if someone could set up his computer and teach him how to use email so they could communicate more easily. He is hard of hearing and letters from Alaska take five days to get here.

This is a service our vetted volunteers can provide.

If you know of friends or family members who could benefit from EFV services, please email Membership@eastfallsvillage.org or call 267-444-4507.

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