Being there

Being there

Baba Senior Outreach extends helping hands

Luz Diaz and her canine friend, Mia, look forward to visits from Baba Senior Outreach volunteers. BABA SENIOR OUTREACH

Miniature pinscher Pumpkin Pie is delighted by visits from Baba Senior Outreach volunteer Janet Inaba. “He’s a good judge of people and he loves her,” said Pumpkin Pie’s owner, Harriett Estelle. Inaba brings both food and friendship to Estelle’s Trinity Towers South apartment on a regular basis. 

The food Inaba delivers, most of it donated by Publix to Second Harvest Food Bank, helps Estelle stretch her limited resources and still eat nutritiously.

“We only choose healthy frozen meats, chicken and fish, when they have fish, dairy when they have, and always fresh fruits and vegetables,” Inaba said. 

Inaba also arranges for someone to help Estelle with light housekeeping, another service that helps her remain independent.

“She uses a walker, making it difficult to clean her bathtub and mop her floors,” Inaba explained.

If Estelle needs to visit one of her doctors or go on an errand, Inaba makes certain she has the transportation to get there. 

Once a week, Ilia Bauman heads to Trinity Towers West to visit Maria Martinez, one of the residents in this Melbourne community for seniors of modest means. Bauman had been volunteering with Baba Senior Outreach for a year and a half when she learned they needed a person who spoke Spanish to check on Martinez, who cannot drive because of her macular degeneration.

A large number of Bauman’s visits are spent in the car with Martinez, who has no other means of transportation, to doctors’ appointments, and more. “There are times I might just take her to lunch or to the thrift stores, which she loves,” Bauman explained. “That is our ‘bargain-hunting visit’ that is not scheduled.”

Besides appreciating the transportation to medical appointments, Martinez is also thankful for the opportunity to just go out. “I enjoy the outings, seeing different scenery other than the apartment,” she said.

Bauman believes her visits with Martinez are win-win opportunities. “For me, I enjoy her company and her ‘joie de vivre,’” she said.

Perhaps equally as important is the social connection that both Estelle and Martinez receive from Baba volunteers during a time in people’s lives when isolation is all too common. 

A partnership with Second Harvest allows Baba Senior Outreach to obtain fresh, nutritious food at a nominal cost. TOM WILBY PHOTOS

SUPPORT, AS NEEDED

Baba volunteer Terry Mays enjoys a bit of weightlifting exercise while delivering groceries to seniors in Brevard County. TOM WILBY

In Asian cultures, the term “baba” often denotes a paternal figure, one who often serves as a spiritual guide. With Baba Senior Outreach, Melbourne internal medicine practitioner Dr. Geetha Priyanka, who started the nonprofit in 2022, pays homage to the wisdom and guidance of local babas — Brevard’s elderly residents — by helping them navigate through the necessities of daily life. 

When a Baba volunteer arrived at the home of another senior, she found the individual on the phone with Advent Health Orlando, which had just called to ask her to come for bloodwork for a possible match for two available kidneys. Time was of the essence and the patient had to report at 1 p.m., but had no ready transportation. The volunteer took her to Orlando to get the blood work. Due to a perfect match, she received a kidney transplant.

“This would not have happened if the volunteer had not been at the right place at the right time,” Priyanka said. 

The willingness of Baba volunteers reflects the scope of the nonprofit that Priyanka launched as a response to needs she saw in patients at her medical practice, Baba Healthcare.

“Modern medicine has given us an extraordinary gift,” said Priyanka, who estimates that approximately 40 percent of her patients are seniors. “People are living longer than ever before, but with that gift comes a challenge we don’t talk about nearly enough. For many older adults, aging brings physical limitations, emotional isolation, increasing care needs and significant financial strain. I witnessed these struggles every day in my practice. I met seniors who quietly worried about affording groceries, making their homes safe, or simply having someone to talk to. What moved me most wasn’t just the hardship they faced: It was their silence. This is a generation built on resilience and independence. Many are reluctant to ask for help and, even when they do, they often don’t know where to turn.”

Priyanka noticed the pandemic exacerbated the problems her patients faced.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, those challenges became even greater. Isolation deepened, access to healthcare and community support became more difficult, and many older adults found themselves more vulnerable than ever,” she said.

As recovery eventually began, the seniors were facing yet another obstacle: inflation that made basic necessities increasingly difficult to afford.

“By January of 2022, what had long been a growing concern became an urgent call to action,” Priyanka said. “I realized I could no longer stand by and simply witness these struggles. It was time to do something.”

Volunteers John Goldner and Inaba help to pack groceries for delivery to individual seniors.

COOPERATIVE EFFORT

Neatly stacked groceries await the next delivery cycle at Baba Senior Outreach. TOM WILBY

Currently, Baba Senior Outreach is primarily funded through the generosity of friends and family. “We are encouraged by the growing support from our community,” Priyanka said, adding that a recent fundraising walk brought in more than $41,000.

As the group continues to grow, Baba volunteers are actively pursuing grants and exploring other funding opportunities to support its programs and future needs.

“Expanding our funding base will allow us to serve more seniors, strengthen our programs, and ensure that essential services remain available to those who need them most,” Priyanka said.

Nevertheless, she is realistic about the role Baba Senior Outreach plays in the community.

“The challenges facing older adults cannot be solved by one person, one organization, or even the government alone,” she said. “Meeting the complex needs of seniors requires collaboration across healthcare providers, community organizations, businesses, volunteers and public agencies.”

All smiles, Gloria Durant greets a Baba volunteer. BABA SENIOR OUTREACH

Baba Senior Outreach works closely with other groups to connect older adults with the resources and support needed. “By collaborating, rather than working in isolation, we can provide more comprehensive care and ensure that no senior has to face these challenges alone,” Priyanka said. 

The group’s partnership with Second Harvest allows the organization to obtain fresh, nutritious food at a nominal cost. “Through the dedication of our volunteers, we distribute these groceries directly to seniors, helping ensure they have access to healthy food while stretching limited resources,” Priyanka said.

The group also works with Aging Matters, subcontracting housekeeping services through the organization. Future plans include collaborating with Aging Matters to support seniors who are on the Meals on Wheels waiting list, providing assistance until they are able to receive those services. Aging Matters’ Meals on Wheels helps seniors with the delivery of prepared meals, while Baba Senior Outreach focuses on delivering produce and groceries that allow seniors to prepare their own meals if they are able.

“We also offer free one-on-one companionship and assistance with activities of daily living through our trained volunteers,” Priyanka added. “By working together, each organization contributes its unique strengths, ensuring seniors receive more comprehensive support than any one agency could provide alone.”

Priyanka estimates that the fresh groceries delivered saves each senior up to $300 a month. Free housekeeping can save someone an additional $100 to $150 monthly. Baba also provides up to eight hours of volunteer support for help with everyday tasks that help seniors remain independent. 

“There are so many things I can no longer do, but Baba Senior Outreach helps me focus on the things I can still do,” Estelle said.

See original article in print publication