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CLOUDY Temp: 37 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, April 2, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 18, 2003 Jack Oliver, 58, of Sams Valley, volunteers several hours each week to help seniors and disabled people fill out paperwork for free medication from pharmaceutical companies. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Volunteers rescue those in need By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Jack Oliver knows what it means to be disabled and dependent on expensive medication. But the 58-year-old Sams Valley man also knows that he’s fortunate — his medical needs are covered by private insurance. So when Oliver learned that more than 500 poor and elderly people in Jackson County were losing aid for prescription drugs because of state budget shortfalls, he wanted to help. "I just called and said, ‘Is there any area where I can volunteer?’" says Oliver. There was. For the past month, Oliver has spent several hours each week helping seniors and disabled people fill out complicated paperwork to get free medication from pharmaceutical companies. "My fingernails were chewed down to the second level when I learned I was going to be cut off," says Louise Coon, 59, of White City, who needs assistance for a dozen medications that total more than $600 a month. "What Jack is doing is a godsend for those who can’t pay for the service." Oliver is one of a growing number of individuals who’ve volunteered time, energy, skills and money, hoping to offset deep cuts in state services. Some 1,500 residents in Jackson and Josephine counties have been affected by $4.9 million in cuts that began Feb. 1, the first phase of reductions in areas ranging from prescription drug payments to state general assistance. "It upsets me that we’re in a position where things like this have to happen," says Oliver, who last week assisted seven elderly clients of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. "I’m of the persuasion that we should have been helping each other all along," he says. Oliver is not alone. Staffers at the RVCOG say they’ve fielded several calls from people offering assistance ranging from cash donations to house cleaning. And they’re grateful for the help. "That’s what I think it’s going to take," says Berta Varble, RVCOG contracts manager. "People just need to know what to do." One anonymous woman sent a check for $713 to cover a month’s worth of medications for Dorothy Armstrong, a 69-year-old Phoenix woman who lost her coverage. Renee Lowe, 46, of Central Point, volunteered to clean Armstrong’s house. And Jeannie Snyder, 54, a registered nurse from Medford, offered to bathe her. "With these cuts, there’s been so much sadness," Snyder says. "I was kind of hoping other people would do something, too." Momentum is growing to form a group of volunteers who could compensate for some lost services, Varble says. Many feel like Lowe, who read of Armstrong’s plight in the newspaper. "I just felt for that lady," she says. "If I don’t do it, who’s going to do it? People will just forget about the elderly." Potential volunteers must contact the RVCOG or other agencies for screening, but Varble says their services will be in demand. That pleases Snyder, who says the ability to volunteer is "a blessing" to her as well as those she helps. "There’s just so, so much that can happen when like-minded people organize for their community," she says. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S