Highlights
Congratulations to Shirley Soderstrom, our BINGO winner last week! She won a piece of pie at our next Lunch Bunch!
St. Anthony Park Area Seniors continues to be operating and offering: rides to essential medical appointments, grocery delivery, prescription pick-up and curbside pick-up. Unfortunately, all in-person group activities have been cancelled until futher notice. We do have a virtual Lunch Bunch going. Call 651-642-9052 to find out more. We hope to see you soon!
Welcome!
COVID-19 Update
At St. Anthony Park Area Seniors we are tracking the latest news about the coronavirus (COVID-19) to best help and protect the people we serve and our volunteers. We will be following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and from state and local public health officials.
Here are the links to the websites for Ramsey County and St. Paul's District 12, which display up-to-date information and resources for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ramsey County
St. Paul's District 12
During this time, our work has not stopped, we are just doing it differently. On a day-to-day basis, we will be reevaluating how to provide help while keeping the people we serve, volunteers and clients safe.
These are our current program updates:
- We have cancelled all in-person group events and activities until further notice.
- We continue to provide rides to essential medical appointments for seniors who do not have COVID-19 symptoms.
- We provide rides to the drive-thru at banks so that seniors can get cash.
- We offer grocery delivery, prescription pick-up and restaurant pick-up.
- We can sign seniors up for free Friday grocery delivery from Speedy Market. Call our office at 651-642-9052 to sign up.
- We recognize that people will miss getting out to our events. We have volunteers who will do phone visits so please call us at 651-642-9052 if we can connect you with a phone visitor.
We recommend that everyone follow the CDC recommendations for everyday preventive measures:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw it in the trash can.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%-95% alcohol.
- Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
The CDC has identified that the people at higher risk for COVID-19 are older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. People at higher risk should:
- Stay home as much as possible to reduce the risk of being exposed.
- Stock up on supplies, including extra food, medications, pet supplies and other household provisions, in the event they need to spend two weeks at home.
- Take precautions to keep about 6 feet of space between themselves and others.
- When out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash hands often.
- Avoid crowds as much as possible.
- Avoid any non-essential travel.
Here is a list of Ramsey County Resources for basic needs. 
Resource list for Basic Needs in Ramsey County.pdf
Here is a podcast offered by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Health in All Matters
As we navigate these changing times together, thank you for your patience and understanding. Let us know how we can help.
What Is St. Anthony Park Area Seniors?
Saint Anthony Park Area Seniors (SAPAS) is a 501 (c) (3) charity that strengthens our community by providing a program of services to seniors. The pillars of our program are wellness activities, at-home living assistance, nursing care, and caregiver support. The services we offer keep seniors vital and engaged as they age in place.
What makes SAPAS distinctive is our use of volunteers. Our staff of three expertly coordinates more than 130 volunteers—mobilizing them to teach exercise and yoga classes, drive seniors to medical and social appointments, deliver Meals on Wheels, monitor blood pressures, help with chores, and a host of other services. When volunteers serve their senior neighbors, the seniors, the volunteers and the community all benefit: The services help seniors continue to live independently; volunteers become personally invested in their senior neighbors, and their interaction bolsters their ties to the community.
SAPAS has adapted to meet the needs of our senior clients since it began in 1981 as America’s first block nurse program. The Saint Anthony Park Block Nurse Program pioneered the delivery of medically-related services to seniors in their homes. As other entities started providing these services, we changed our focus to expanding the scope of other services to seniors. In 2011, the Block Nurse Program became SAPAS, reflecting our enhanced menu of services and expanded service area.
The primary goals of our four-part program are keeping seniors independent and encouraging them to remain engaged in our community. We promote senior independence by gearing many of our services to individual seniors and their caregivers. These services, delivered largely by volunteers, sustain seniors safely in their homes; for many, this is more satisfactory than group living arrangements.
Meanwhile, our wellness activities offer seniors many opportunities to connect with our community. For example, every weekday we offer exercise and yoga classes. In addition to their social benefit, these classes build strength and flexibility, decreasing the likelihood and severity of falls.
We also collaborate with the St. Anthony Park branch library to sponsor monthly movie screenings and quarterly Older Adult Resource Services (OARS) programs. These activities just scratch the surface of what we offer. One wellness participant aptly summed up our efforts: “St. Anthony Park Area Seniors activities get me out of the apartment. I enjoy the people and appreciate the opportunity at all events. They give me a chance to meet new people, structure my time, broaden my horizons and laugh.”
SAPAS enhances our community by providing useful services to seniors. In turn, SAPAS has benefitted from the strong backing of our community for 37 years, and we appreciate the support. We now invite you to join us in our endeavor—whether as a client, a volunteer or a donor. Call our office (651) 642-9052, email us office@SAPASeniors.org, or find us on Facebook.
Mission Statement
To enrich the lives of community seniors and provide assistance in maintaining independence and interdependence through professionals and volunteers providing at-home living assistance, wellness activities, nursing care, and caregiver support.
Look and See
Click to view of program video with subtitles.
St. Anthony Park Area Seniors Monthly E-newsletters
Contact the SAPAS office at 651-642-9052 or office@sapaseniors.org if you would like to receive this e-newsletter at your e-mail address.
April 2020 E-newsletter.pdf (1.96 MB)March 2020 E-Newsletter (2.38 MB)
