The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is excited to announce its partnership with the Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County (SCHC). SCHC is the trusted resource in Hamilton County for connecting seniors to programs and resources that support their independence.
Lt. Jason Sloderbeck felt this partnership would align with the values and goals of the HCSO Community Foundation. The HCSO Community Foundation was established as a charitable organization to support the important mission of serving local Hamilton County communities.
On April 9, deputies with the Sheriff’s Office assisted SCHC by picking up necessary food and other items from the grocery store, decontaminating the items, and then helping to organize and deliver them to local senior citizens.
Since 2017, SCHC has seen a 192 percent growth in the number of seniors served and over 1,000 percent growth in referrals. There are 7,500 seniors in Hamilton County who live at or below the 40th percentile of the area median income ($16,000 or less).
“Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, our phones are now ringing off the hook with requests for services,” said Mary Pat McKee of SCHC.
The coronavirus outbreak has caused the majority of all seniors in the county to shelter in place and forced SCHC to temporarily close the group programming, which allowed seniors to gather for food and fellowship. Therefore, SCHC is activating new ways to assist Hamilton County seniors by delivering food, cleaning supplies, and other needed items to their doors, along with regularly reaching out with a personal call to assess any needs and provide vital social connection.
The Sheriff’s Office and SCHC will continue to work together every Thursday to help with grocery shopping, food decontamination, and food delivery. Hamilton County citizens are encouraged to assist in reaching out to SCHC if you or a loved one is a senior in Hamilton County and could use this resource.
You can donate to SCHC by going to the website donation page or by writing a check to: Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County, 347 S. 8th St., Noblesville, IN 46060. Please note “Coronavirus support” in the memo line.
You can also donate to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Community Foundation at hcsocommunityfoundation.com. These donations will allow the department to support those less fortunate in local communities, support the department’s hard-working employees and to build strong relationships in local communities.
For more information, please contact Executive Director Lauren Guynn at (317) 674-8777 or Boardmember/Coronavirus Task Force Leader Melanie Fauth at (317) 313-7132.