The Heart of Ida

Heart of Ida was founded in 2008 by sisters Dina Berg and Keri Reich in honor of their beloved grandmother, Ida. Ida modeled service to low-income, isolated older adults and the sisters carried-on her legacy by establishing Long Beach's only 501c3 serving the older adult population.
Heart of Ida leads an extraordinary person-centered approach to vulnerable adults by partnering with volunteers, city, and community organizations. Our programs include:

Stay Connected, a local initiative to stabilize and build long term resilience of older adults living in their residences, uses multiple opportunities to connect seniors to their community.

Stay Connected includes:

AgeWell Resource Guide - A published resource guide distributed to older adults, their families and caregivers with up-to date listings of local community organizations and agencies providing essential programs and services including food assistance, housing, health care, fraud prevention, legal aid, tax help, medical equipment, mental health, hospice, elder abuse, senior recreation, and more.

Ida's Walkers - A volunteer is matched to help with pet walks and to make friendly visits to homebound older adults lacking resources to hire a pet walker. The ability to keep a beloved pet during a health decline reduces loneliness.

Digital Inclusion - Digital devices and mobile hot-spots provided to low-income seniors. One-on-one technology support is provided by volunteers to help seniors get set-up on the devices and learn how to utilize features such as email, internet access and online health, wellness and enrichment programming.

Telephone messaging - Utilizing Dial-My-Calls messaging, registered seniors receive both alerts and twice-monthly calls featuring a friendly, reassuring voice along with timely, factual information related to public health, safety, nutrition, housing, and social, cultural and enrichment opportunities. Telephonic messaging is simple for older adult participation and does not require online access or computer savvy.

Live Friendly Callers - Our most isolated older adults who need a more personal connection receive a weekly one-on-one phone call from a volunteer.

Personal Cards - Volunteers send homemade cards to clients in need of cheer.

Essential Needs -Heart of Ida maintains an essential needs pantry to offer donated items such as personal care/hygiene products, blankets, warm socks and winter hats/gloves, PPE, rapid Covid tests and pet food. For older adults in crisis, grocery gift cards are made available and volunteers assist with shopping when necessary.

Testimonials

Essential Needs Client: "I just want to say thank you so much for that (grocery) card. It comes in so handy on shopping for eggs and milk and coffee. I just want to say thank you so so so so much, I am so grateful, again have a good weekend, bye."

Stay Connected Client: "Some of us seniors are lonely, just sitting by the phone and then it rings and it's Heart of Ida. I don't take this lightly, that's why I'm calling you back. Thank you for caring about us. You have such a friendly voice it's nice to hear from you. Thanks"

Ida's Walker's Client: "For me, this has made a big difference in me being able to keep my pets, my babies for having to look for other way for them to live, there are many days that I am unable to get out of bed let alone walk my dogs. I look forward to Wednesdays and Fridays for them, the happiness they express when the walker arrives delights me. They are so excited, they get to exert energy and have a good quality of life. Without this program, I dońt know what I would have had to do with my animals. I am very appreciative of it. Dina, to come up with this idea, for me, it was the greatest thing, that someone thought enough to do this type of program. The screening process for volunteers must be really good too because they are very generous people. "

Stay Connected Client: "I just wanted to thank you so much again for connecting my mother with Cheryl. For months now they have spoken every week, and have developed a fond friendship. My mom does not generally hit it off with *anyone* for this long - Cheryl is a treasure. She has really kept my mom going during this crazy time, giving her something to look forward to each week. So I cannot thank you enough - not only for the incredible organization that you run, but also for the special effort you took in selecting the perfect person to pair my mom with."

Ida's Walker's Client: " Two years ago I had both shoulders replaced, couldn't do anything. I have two Yorkies, one has hip problems. They both go crazy when they see Tina park outside our window. She has been wonderful, walking them 2 x week for 30-45 mins. I recently had my hip replaced and Tina came to help me again. They absolutely love her. I may need back surgery soon and Tina has already told me she can help during that phase as well. I am deeply grateful...