Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE) is a community-based non-profit organization serving Lakeland, Bartow, Mulberry and Ft. Meade since 1983 The primary goal of VISTE is to enable frail elderly persons to continue living independently and safely in their own home. VISTE is a United Way agency.
Interested in volunteering? Our next Volunteer Orientation is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8th @ 10am.
Contact ashley@viste.org for more info.
VISTE is a volunteer-driven organization successful because of the schools, churches, civic groups, local corporations, and individuals that help us. Though a small VISTE staff oversees program services offered to our clients, our dedicated volunteers perform the majority of the work.
All year long, VISTE provides a variety of services to our clients:
Transportation program service – VISTE drives clients to medical offices, grocery stores, beauty salons, and barber shops. The places you and I go without thinking about it!
Monthly commodity program service – VISTE provides a 30 day supply of food to approximately 1000 clients each month. Volunteers pack individual commodity bags, and distribute the food to clients.
Personal Care Boxes program service – VISTE provides clients boxes of personal and household care items during two special projects each year. Individuals in the community, schools, churches and civic groups donate the items. Volunteers pack and deliver personal care boxes to over 900 clients yearly.
Hot Meals program service – VISTE delivers freshly made hot food to homebound clients each Tuesday and Thursday. Volunteers currently deliver an average of 1,200 meals each month!
Thanksgiving meal – VISTE volunteers are needed to deliver 1,200 Thanksgiving dinners to clients and their families. Corporate sponsors, local groups and individual volunteers to numerous to count ensured that clients enjoyed freshly prepared turkey dinners complete with all the fixings.
Birthday program services – VISTE remembers client birthdays each month. VISTE sends birthday cards to nearly 4,000 clients. Additionally, clients celebrating their 90th (or later) birthday receive a special visit from singing VISTE volunteers who deliver a cake and balloons to honor a client’s special day.
VISTE provides many other program services to clients. Such services include minor home repairs, phone pals, caregiver respite, housekeeping, bathing, delivery of miscellaneous items, financial and prescription assistance, and special projects.
