Masayo Honjo has been facing a big problem. The Ventura County woman lost part of her eyesight, and had to stop driving.
"I gave up my driver's license, so I have to get rides to go to places." said Honjo.
A year and a half ago, Honjo connected with a volunteer group which is helping her. "I'm so lucky that it's here in the Conejo Valley. It makes a big difference in my life. They take me to the doctor. They even take me shopping."
The group is called Conejo Valley Village.
"Everybody is a volunteer. We have members who are getting services, and we have members who are social members who are there for events, and we have volunteers," said Valarie Fitch, who is President of the Board of Directors for Conejo Valley Village.
Members pay a small fee to cover costs. But, it’s a non- profit volunteer organization. They have about 80 volunteers, and more than 110 members. The non-profit serves Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Oak Park, and Westlake Village.
"Mostly driving people to doctor's appointments, but also hair appointments, and nails and whatever, because that helps them fell good about themselves," said Ann Novick, who is one of the volunteers.
Organizers realized that for many people they were helping, it was much more than a ride to the doctor’s office, or the store. It’s social interaction, and the chance to make new friends.
"At the beginning, we were concentrating on the services, but we realized we had a lot of people where who are retired, or living alone, and are isolated, and what they are really looking for is they want to get out," said Dinah Frishling, who was one of the founders of the Conejo Valley chapter of the Village.
There are pot luck events, meetups at restaurants, and trips to concerts. And, thanks to the pandemic, many of these seniors have mastered zoom events.
Bunnie Roach hosts a regular online comedy event, where she tells jokes for an hour.
Chris Jones said his mother was a virtual shut-in when she discovered the program.
He said once she became involved, it was like a new life for her, with lots of activity. "I was just amazed. It transformed her. It catapulted her into being a social butterfly again, as opposed to being a hermit."
He was so impressed with what he saw, after he retired, Jones and his wife joined the program as volunteers.
Irv Krozier says he doesn’t know what he’d do without the program. He’s a 97-year-old widower.
The Newbury Park man says thanks to Conejo Valley Village, he has a whole new group of friends. "It just blows me away. I have people who come to my house and sit with me, and talk for hours."
Conejo Valley Village is 100% volunteer, and are always looking for new recruits, ranging from people who need a little help, to people who want to help.
The work includes giving rides, helping people with little tasks at home, and staffing the phone bank which scheduled visits.
Those involved say perhaps the best thing Conejo Valley Village provides is the chance to make new friends, something which can be hard for people who are older, and don’t get out as much.
