Mathews County Triad has canceled its Spring Safety Fair for the second year in a row, but the organization wants residents to know it’s still around, working behind the scenes to make Mathews a safer place for seniors.
“We are still here, still helping members of the community,” said Mathews Triad President Alice Stewart.
She and Mathews Sheriff’s Office liaison Lt. Sid Foster said they hope to have a Fall Safety Fair this year, but even if that doesn’t happen, they’ll be coming up with activities to help seniors.
Senior Safety Bags
On Tuesday, May 11, the Triad committee will meet to put together Senior Safety Bags similar to those that are handed out each year at the Spring Fair, which is normally held in May at the Piankatank Ruritan Club at Hudgins.
The bags will contain small favors such as thermometers, pill dispensers, hand sanitizer and writing materials, said Foster, but perhaps most importantly, it will contain flyers from various community organizations that provide resources for seniors, along with anything else donated by the businesses and organizations that normally have booths set up at the fair.
The bags will then be delivered by volunteers to the over two dozen residents who have Medical Alert units that are paid for by Triad and to Meals on Wheels recipients.
Unclaimed property
Also coming up in May will be an unclaimed property day to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 26.
Held in cooperation with the Virginia Department of the Treasury, the phone-in event will allow seniors in Mathews to get assistance calling in to find out if the state is in possession of property that belongs to them that they may not know about. Stewart said that during the 2019 Senior Safety Fair, one woman found a life insurance policy that had been taken out on her deceased husband.
All the caller has to do is provide name and date of birth to see if they qualify for any unclaimed property.
For those who wish to check on their own, the service is accessible at www.vamoneysearch.org.
Vaccination help
Triad will also work with senior Mathews residents who are having trouble making an appointment for their COVID-19 vaccination or who need transportation to get to their vaccination appointment.
Stewart said Triad began last year assisting people who were isolating themselves for protection, offering help with grocery shopping or attending to other needs, but the organization has received very few calls for assistance. Now they’ve expanded the assistance offered to help with vaccinations.
For information or assistance, call 804-815-6622.
About Triad
Mathews County Triad is a cooperative effort of the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office, Bay Aging, and seniors in the community. Its mission is to work together to reduce the criminal victimization of seniors or the fear of criminal victimization among the elderly. Its SALT Council—Seniors and Law Enforcement Together—meets the third Tuesday of each month.