Providing Care and Connection for Seniors

Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. (PVI) was founded nearly 80 years ago in Menlo Park by a group of forward-thinking women in the spirit of giving back to the community. The members quickly recognized an urgent need for their help: seniors. PVI is redefining what it means to be a senior in society. They are empowering this long-ignored segment of the community through care and connection and helping them stay vibrant by enabling seniors to age in place in the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley.

According to Peter Olson, PVI’s longtime CEO/executive director, “Seniors live longer, happier, and more fulfilled lives when they are able to stay in their own homes. Access to our life-affirming programs and services make this possible.” PVI is creating a future where seniors can age in place surrounded by the support and services they need to thrive without the negative health impacts of hunger, loneliness, and isolation.

To spotlight the crisis facing seniors, the U.S. Attorney General identified loneliness as an epidemic. San Mateo County declared it a public health crisis in January 2024, and PVI is working with Supervisor David Canepa, who is championing this issue.

In 1949, PVI launched Little House, the first suburban senior center in the United States. It became the model for senior centers that followed. In the ‘70s, they opened Rosener House, an award-winning facility for seniors with cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s and dementia, paving the way for addressing senior health issues that weren’t openly discussed.

The organization’s work helps seniors stay healthy and retain independence and social connection through core offerings. Addressing nutrition and food security needs, PVI’s Nutrition Services/Meals on Wheels program delivers meals from their commercial kitchen to homebound seniors and adults with disabilities. Their “Got Groceries?” program has provided over 50,000 pounds of food to more than 500 families monthly, helping with financial shortfalls and essential needs. RIDE PVI helps preserve independence by providing transportation services for non-driving older adults.

Their Rosalyn G. Morris Activity Center and Adult Day Services at Rosener House provide supportive environments for aging members of the Peninsula to thrive. PVI also battles senior social isolation. “I cannot tell you how many people have said, ‘This organization has saved my life,’” Olson emphasizes.

PVI launched Quiescence – Customized Solutions for Family Caregivers, a concierge service for caregivers, providing a dedicated assistant to manage medicine, appointments, and related needs.

Today, PVI serves over 6,000 households annually through its core programs in the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley, impacting over 400,000 families.

PVI’s goal remains to provide seniors with supportive and compassionate care options, giving them the opportunity to age in place.