Club Meeting: Community Volunteer Network Update

Casie Rose, Executive Director of the Community Volunteer Network, delivered the featured presentation. CVN is a local nonprofit founded in 1986 in the basement of the Rogue Valley Manor, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The organization’s mission is to provide meaningful services and volunteer opportunities to enrich the lives of people in the community, with a particular focus on adults age 55 and over.

Community Need

Jackson County, roughly the size of Delaware, has approximately 70% of residents living in urban areas and 30% in rural communities. Older adults in Southern Oregon face higher rates of depression than any other area in Oregon, with approximately 15% living at the poverty line. Josephine County presents even more challenging statistics, with 23% of older adults suffering from depression.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s report highlighted a dramatic decline in social connection, equating social isolation to smoking 14 cigarettes per day in terms of health impact.

Funding Model

CVN sustains its programs through a combination of federal AmeriCorps Seniors funding, Medicare navigation program funding (SHIBA — Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance — and Senior Medicare Patrol), and philanthropic support from community partners and donors.

Programs Overview

• Foster Grandparent Program: Low-income older adults serve as classroom mentors and role models in local schools, supporting academic engagement and social-emotional learning. Volunteers receive a non-taxable, non-declarable stipend. In 2023–24, nearly 35,000 hours were served and 516 children were impacted. Third-grade reading proficiency in Jackson County is at only one-third of students meeting grade level; eighth-grade math proficiency is at 20%.
• Grand Books for Summer: A new initiative providing every child in a Foster Grandparent’s classroom with a book at the end of the school year to combat summer learning loss. The pilot year received strong feedback and the program is continuing. CVN is seeking small donations to support this program.
• SHIBA / Medicare Navigation: Certified volunteer counselors help seniors navigate Medicare options at no cost. Due to the sudden exit of multiple Medicare Advantage carriers from the Southern Oregon market — including Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield (14,000 affected) and UnitedHealthcare (5,000 affected) — CVN’s phone volume has surged from a typical 10 weekend calls to 174 calls on a single Monday morning, with an additional 150 calls received the day of the meeting. Aetna remains the only carrier contracting with both Providence and Asante. Atrio offers a Providence-only plan.
• Age Wise Age Well / A12 Peer Counseling: Trained volunteer peer counselors provide approximately 2,000 hours per year of free mental and behavioral health support to older adults, serving as a bridge for those on waiting lists for licensed professionals.
• Call-A-Ride Medical Transportation: Volunteers use their own vehicles to transport elderly clients to medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, and behavioral health appointments throughout Jackson County. Approximately 400 clients and 4,000 trips are completed annually. Demand is growing as RVTD (Rogue Valley Transportation District) has made significant service cuts.

Volunteer Impact

• 88% of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers report fewer feelings of isolation.
• 84% report better overall health.
• 78% report reduced depression.
• Chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease decrease among volunteers.

Partnership Opportunity with Rotary

Angalee noted that three ideas from a prior Rotary project brainstorming session — senior/youth engagement, the Elder Angels Program, and medical transportation — align directly with CVN’s existing programs. Members were encouraged to connect with Cassie Rose to develop formal Rotary partnership projects.

Relevant Q&A

Question (Ron): “You mentioned there were two insurance companies that dealt with Asante and Providence, but only one did both of them. Is that a secret?”

Answer (Casie Rose): “Aetna. Aetna is going to be around this year in the Medicare Advantage space and will contract with Providence and Asante. Atrio has a Providence-only plan and won’t be contracting with Asante. If you have Medigap or a Plan F, the carriers are not abandoning that market — they are only abandoning the Medicare Advantage side of things.”