Matching volunteers with elder and disabled residents of long term care facilities, who have no visitors, for a 20-30 minute weekly friendly visit. We also have pet visitors and many East Bay artists who volunteer to bring music magic & dance to LITA served hospitals.

Description:
2007
The most sought-after LITA volunteers are those seeking to make a real friend of a person living full tme in long term care and whom they can visit regularly, usually once a week.

Besides our weekly 20-30 minute one on one visitor program, LITA also has developed a new pet visitor program and brings artistic volunteers who come to share thier talents as entertainers. Our 'clients' come to Contra Costa facilities from all over the Greater Bay Area. Our visits only take place in nursing homes (convalescent hospitals) licensed to give 24-hour care. LITA of CC is non-sectarian. There is no charge for LITA's services.
In addition to the tangible benefits experienced by our LITA served residents in nursing homes, LITA volunteers also enjoy exceptional personal growth and many other positive benefits. Students preparing for careers in health or social services may earn scholastic credits. High school student volunteers may gain valuable life perspectives; work with excellent role models and practice good citizenship. Honor societies in colleges may satisfy required community service hours. Our volunteers frequently relate how LITA service contributes to their personal peace, appreciation of life and happiness.
LITA Outreach. We do continuous public speaking and outreach activity recruit and maintain our volunteer base. One element of this outreach is a 15- 45-minute PowerPoint presentation: ' Treasures of Mata Ortiz - A LITA Seminar' :elements of art history, anthropology and sociology, relating the renaissance of a lost art form (900 AD?1400 AD) of the Paquime civilization (Chichimec/Toltecs), It also tells the modern story of sound sustainable economic development wrought through art and ingenuity and hard work in an impoverished village in Northern Chihuahua. Our LITA Seminar returns to and concludes with how this miracle relates to the humanistic works of love accomplished by LITA in East Bay nursing homes for elder and disabled persons. Volunters and our Director man booths at the CCC Farmers Markets and various other indoor and out door art events to meet the public and generate awareness.

Individuals interested in becmoing hospital volunteer visitors(18 or younger need an adult sponsor to sign) complete a simple 1 paage application and talk with our Director. interview. Support includes easy to read training materials, a video and LITA Volunteer Manual. The new volunteer has a hospital orientation tour prior to starting. Some volunteers gravitate to doing a one on one weekly visit. Pet visitors often have a more flexible less frequent schedule.
Others contribute via multiple other volunteer jobs available at LITA. Twenty-four years of experience has proven regular volunteer visitors and caring contact from the outside ( including the energy generated via art and music) creates a highly positive change in the morale and quality of life for those hospital residents we serve. LITA of CC office is at 6830 Stockton Avenue, El Cerrito, California, 94530. Alternate mailing address is (PO Box 121, Port Costa CA 94569). Call LITA's Executive Director Victoria Ryan: Office (510) 527-2055 or Director's Cell (925) 212 4573. You may send any of your questions and comments by email to info@litaofcontracosta.org

History:
LITA 'Love Is The Answer'

May 2004

LITA Love Is the Answer of Contra Costa is a 501-3C, 94-2766013, founded in 1980.
The first LITA was started by Mae Wygant who discovered a need for LITA type service in Marin. Mae's good friend, Iris Suhl moved from Marin in 1980 when her spouse passed away, to live with and care for her mother. She immediately founded LITA of Costa. Iris was so dedicated, organized and energetic that within a few years had built LITA up to 100 volunteers visiting in convalescent hospitals spread all over the county. Victoria Ryan is the current Director of LITA. She came on board in the spring of 2002, when LITA had fallen on very hard times indeed. After 911 many non-profits suffered from lack of volunteers and even more from an often fatal lack of funding.
LITA still struggles to keep funding enough to support expanding programs. LITA has been steadily growing since 2002 and now averages and maintains 50 active volunteers, serving over 16 hospitals around Contra Costa (and occasionaly Alameda) county.

In addition to our main friendly visitor program, LITA has a growing group of pet visitors who bring their gentle dogs and cats to cheer up and share love with the residents. Our Executive director Victoria Ryan often performs hherself and books other talented east bay artist for volunteer musical, magic and dance shows at our many LITA served facilities.

LITA volunteers are active in hospitals located in Richmond, San Pablo El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Pleasant Martinez Concord, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Danville Antioch and Oakland.

Contact person: Victoria Ryan, Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: Dedicated Line 510-787-0380

Address:

6830 Stockton Avenue El Cerrito, CA 94530 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.litaofcontracosta.org