Testimonials

As the black-haired Portuguese Water Dog named Auggie traversed the rows of chairs and Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition clients, his trainer Penny Hallam reminded us of the strength of Auggie’s snout.

“Humans have 5 million olfactory receptors in their nose, whereas dogs have 500 million receptors,” Hallam said as Auggie searched. Auggie’s body language changed as he sat next to a woman’s seat, alerting his trainer to the birch scented swab that had been hidden amongst the seats. He’d found the scent.

The crowd of older adults cheered and clapped at the power of Auggie’s nose. Auggie’s tail wagged in excitement. 

This scented scavenger hunt display happened at VVCC’s July Social Outing for its clients — or neighbors as we call them — at the Sedona Public Library Friday, July 26. At the display, the dog trainers talked about dog biology, emotional support training, and natural habits. 

These social outings are organized to provide a fun reason for older adults in the Verde Valley to get out of the house and meet new people in an organic social setting. Recent research shows that isolation and feelings of loneliness can be as harmful to a person as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

At the event, the two dogs — Auggie and a mini bernadoodle named Julip — received tons of love, treats and pets from everyone. Afterward, the group made their way to lunch at the Wildflower Café where they were able to eat, chat and visit with other neighbors. 

In fact, we chatted with three neighbors at the event, and asked them one question: Why do you love dogs? 

At 96 years old, Joanne Johnson remains remarkably sharp and active as the Chair of the Planning and Transportation committees in her large homeowner’s association. And not even recent health challenges can stop her from her lifelong love of adventure and community.

Joanne’s journey began in Akron, Ohio, where she aimed to pursue a career in medicine at Western Reserve University, only to be redirected towards becoming a med tech due to gender barriers of the time. While studying there, she met and married her husband, Herk, a student at Case Western Reserve University. Their careers took her from hospitals in Akron to Chicago, but eventually, they settled in Van Nuys, California.

Joanne and Herk raised a son and a daughter, and while Herk pursued his engineering career, Joanne became a dedicated homemaker. Herk’s love for golf eventually led them to explore various golf courses in Arizona. Upon discovering Sedona, Joanne invested her inheritance in local real estate. By 1990, they retired to the Village of Oak Creek, where they built their dream home.

Despite initially focusing on homemaking, Joanne's adventurous spirit led her to explore new interests. 

Her most unexpected venture came when she joined Volunteers in Protection, a volunteer deputy group formed by the sheriff to support law enforcement in Big Park. Overcoming her initial fear of guns, Joanne underwent rigorous training with the local SWAT team. She became a respected member of the group, patrolling neighborhoods and assisting sheriff officers as needed. 

During the last couple of years, Joanne has developed some health challenges including a leg operation that required multiple medical appointments per week. While she continues to drive locally, the appointments are far and frequent. Joanne relies on Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition and cannot think of any other service that would have seen her through that time.

“I couldn’t exist without them!” Joanne said.

When asked what of her experiences have been most interesting, she spoke of planning and completing the median planting in Verde Valley School Road. She was also involved in the development of Interstate 179, helping to organize the median planting there. And don’t forget her participation in forming the Big Park Region Coordinating Council and her work on the first board of Big Park Domestic Wastewater Improvement District, she said.

Joanne’s dedication to community service and her resilience in facing personal challenges serve as a testament to her remarkable spirit and unwavering commitment to making a difference throughout her life.

As a child in Vienna, Austria, Henni began skating with her brother at age 8. When she was 18, Ice Review came to Vienna and recruited Henni and four other girls to skate for Ice Capades. This was an exciting adventure. They traveled to America on the Queen Elizabeth I. August 11, 1959. From New York they travelled by train to Atlantic City where they began training for the ice shows.  

Their responsibilities extended beyond the ice shows. Henni was one of the girls chosen to model at Macy’s to promote the ice shows. They travelled by train from one City to another. When travelling they had to wear dresses and high heels and behave professionally. She skated for 13 years.  

Then she became a skating school director in Southern California where she was training her daughter, Christina. From there she moved to Phoenix where she Opened Metro Skating Arena in the new Phoenix Metro Center. 

 While skating she had been married and then divorced.    She was living in Scottsdale when she married again and moved back to Phoenix. Her husband later died of a heart attack. In 1998 she met and married her current husband, Donald. 

They were travelling around the west in their mobile home when Donald became seriously ill while staying in a mobile home park in the Verde Valley. Henni learned about VVCC in a magazine. She called because she does not feel confident to drive because of failing sight. Donald was the driver and mechanic for their aging Mercedes. With him incapacitated VVCC has been their only way to get to doctors’ appointments. “Every driver is super,” says Henni, “and the ladies [in the call center] are wonderful!”

On one trip to Prescott, the driver went by way of Jerome. Henni thought it was a beautiful drive and she felt secure because the volunteer was such a good driver. On the way back they stopped at Arizona Botanical Gardens, which was a special treat. 

Below are photos from Henni's collection.

 . . . a part-time resident of Sedona. Mountain biking brought Jaime and her husband to Sedona about ten years ago on vacation. As so often happens, they liked it so well that after the third visit they bought a small home in Sedona and began spending winters here. Her husband, an emergency room physician, decided to retire at that time. Summers they spend in Massachusetts where they have family, especially their son, and can spend summers in the cooler climate.

Jamie loves to garden. After a career in nursing, she had an organic landscaping business. One time Jamie was surprised to find herself shopping with a neighbor who made healthier food choices than Jamie, herself. “I had to ask her what some of the vegetables were!”

Jamie learned about Verde Valley Caregivers on a Facebook discussion group, Sedona Bulletin Board. She had a lot of time and liked working with the elderly as a nurse, so she became a volunteer. “I always come home happy and feel like I did something good for someone that day,” she says.

Debbie has been a VVCC neighbor for the past six years. Originally from Brooklyn, her career was teaching kindergarten in Queens. After she retired, Debbie moved to Arizona and eventually settled in Cottonwood.

Debbie is living with stage three kidney disease, macular degeneration, and cataracts. She faces constant pain and severe arthritis in her knees, legs, and back. She is also dealing with bipolar disorder. Debbie has not driven for the past decade and depends on VVCC for essential transportation services to medical appointments and grocery shopping.

Living on little more than $1000/month, Debbie has found community support. Local food banks and food boxes from Manzanita Outreach help with nutrition. As well as transportation, VVCC has provided technology coaching allowing her to use her android device with confidence for communication. NACOG helps with housekeeping. She also plans to join VVCC’s monthly senior outings.

Debbie is dedicated to maintaining her physical and mental wellbeing. In addition to having regular healthcare, she participates in NAZCARE wellness programs, enjoying activities like yoga and attending a bipolar support group three times a week. She regularly visits the Cottonwood Library for books to read. Her parakeet, Sweetie Pie keeps her company.

With her determination and the caring network surrounding her, Debbie continues to embrace life with resilience and appreciation.  Of VVCC Debbie says,  "I love it! I am very grateful for Verde Valley Caregivers. They make me feel like family."