Donna Allyn’s interest was piqued when she learned about a proposed kiosk designed to serve as a one-stop shop to find services and volunteer opportunities available to seniors and teens at The Oaks shopping center. So, the Thousand Oaks woman signed up for training to volunteer at the shop, recently dubbed Conejo Connections. “I wanted to know for myself, for my friends and my church, what the resources are,” Allyn said, adding that she is newly retired and looking for ways to give back to the community. Conejo Connections is set to open in January after three years of planning. It will be staffed by volunteer seniors and teens. They will search a specially created database for specific information based on people’s queries, which could range from in-home care to summer activities for teens. People then will be able to walk away with printouts of their requested information. “It’s in a location where many people go, and its open to the public; people go to the mall,” said Thousand Oaks Youth Commissioner Chair Effie Sklavenitis, 17, a senior at Westlake High School. “All that information is in that database. Everything you want to know for the city, it’s all there and it’s all organized in one area.” The idea stemmed from a survey of seniors and baby boomers conducted by the Council on Aging, which formed the basis of the city’s Senior Adult Master Plan, and feedback from teens attending the 2010 Youth Summit hosted by the Youth Commission. Both groups discovered many requests for community services and opportunities that exist but people didn’t know about. For example, seniors wanted utility companies to provide discounts for the elderly and had questions about housing options, while young people wanted information on internships and recreational programs — all services or data available in the Conejo Valley. The information “is kind of scattered,” so we thought compiling it in one place would help, Council on Aging Commissioner Martin Schentes said. The groups pitched their idea to the Thousand Oaks City Council in September 2010. After receiving the council’s blessing, volunteers brought Conejo Connections to life by organizing implementation, volunteer, training and marketing teams. The kiosk will be a collaborative effort involving the Thousand Oaks Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, The Oaks, Senior Concerns and Conejo Youth Employment Services. Senior Concerns, a nonprofit that offers an array of services for seniors, will provide the day-to-day oversight of the program. “It’s a great project for the community,” said Brenda Birdwell, a senior advocate with Senior Concerns. “We have a lot of work to do. We have been working on this project for three years. … We all have timelines and goals of things we have to do.” The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting senior volunteers to work at the kiosk. The first call for volunteers went out several months ago to seniors in the organization’s database. More volunteers are still being sought, said Cindy Powers, head of the senior program. Conejo Youth Employment Services is recruiting teen volunteers and will provide training, using a program and manual developed by retired professionals. The Oaks will make a kiosk available to Conejo Connections for free. The mall location is considered ideal because it is centrally located and provides an opportunity for seniors, boomers and teens to work together. “I think it’s a wonderful thing. It’s a great service,” said Helen Eicher, a Camarillo resident who was sitting with her husband on a mall bench on a recent afternoon. “Seniors need a lot of services.” Tyler Tardiff, 23, and Taylor Loria, 20, both of Simi Valley, said an information kiosk that serves young people could be helpful, particularly for teens who are job hunting or looking for social activities. “Everything is all online,” Tardiff said, but noting the kiosk could provide “social activities in person.” Jake Kohlhepp, 18, the immediate past chairman of the Youth Commission, said teens most often ask about internships, recreation opportunities and counseling services. “There are all these types of things that are out there,” he said. For more information about Conejo Connections, call Francine Sprigel at 381-7362. More …

Print Friendly, PDF & Email