South Coastal Village Volunteers

AARP – Winter Update

2025 Goals. This year AARP will keep pushing to make Delaware’s communities more livable by supporting improvements in transportation, walkability, and age-friendly housing. We will stay involved with efforts to improve the quality and safety of long-term care, support caregivers, and protect voting rights for older Delawareans and those with disabilities.

Local Advocacy. If you would like to learn more about AARP’s local advocacy, please visit the First State Action Blog page for updates and a schedule of meetings and zoom calls: https://states.aarp.org/delaware/first-state-action

Events. Of course, we are also planning fun activities this year, such as virtual yoga and bingo, cultural events including art exhibits and musical theater, and Movies for Grownups. We have even added a new local AARP discount with the YMCA. So if you are looking for something healthy, fun, or entertaining to do, visit AARP Delaware’s events webpage: https://local.aarp.org/bethany-beach-de/

Andrus Award. Recently Chris Powers, then chair of the South Coastal Village Volunteers, was our guest at the 2024 Andrus Award celebration: “Broadway and Beyond.” Chris, our Andrus Award winner last year, graciously agreed to present this year’s award to Linwood Jackson.

I wish a happy, healthy New Year to all of the Village Volunteers. Be well, stay engaged, and enjoy the quiet season on the coast!

If you would like to get more involved AARP’s local advocacy, email me at sagrant@aarp.org

Follow AARP Delaware on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AARPDE/

A Word from the Chair

Every month (or nearly), I have the privilege of attending a meeting with four of the most caring people I know. We meet to talk about our members and how they are doing. We discuss each person, some briefly and others at length.

Summer Traffic is Coming!

As homeowners and businesses begin to prepare for the visitor season, traffic has already increased. Past history tells us that on Fridays during the summer, traffic is gridlocked and our volunteers are busy with house guests and activities. Last year, with your cooperation, we tried to avoid the Friday traffic congestion from June through mid-September.

Cottage Tour Hosts Needed

SCVV is excited to support the South Coastal Library’s 2025 Beach & Bay Cottage Tour. We will be sponsoring one of the seven homes that will be open for in-person tours on July 23 and 24. This is a fantastic opportunity to help raise funds for our local library while also sharing information about SCVV.

Next Dine & Donate

June 2 – Big Fish Grill

Long & Foster is proud to partner with the South Coastal Village Volunteers to help raise funds for this much-needed service to our community. In collaboration with the Big Fish Grill in Ocean View, SCVV will benefit from a Dine & Donate on Monday, June 2, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Huge Tax Day Turnout

Dine & Donate at Northeast Seafood Kitchen

From the opening at 4:00 p.m. until the last diners at 9:00 p.m. on April 15, Northeast Seafood Kitchen was packed with supporters of the South Coastal Village Volunteers—as well as with other customers looking for a good dinner. Thanks to the generosity of Northeast Seafood in donating a portion of its revenues for the evening, SCVV increased the funds used to support our programs.

SCVV Spreads the Word at the Addy Sea Spring Soiree

The South Coastal Village Volunteers was invited to participate in the Addy Sea’s annual spring benefit for the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Department. This year’s event, held on April 27, marked the third time that SCVV was invited to have an information table.

Sixty Spring/Easter Baskets Delivered

The Sweets and Sunshine Committee gathered on April 8 to make more than sixty spring/Easter baskets for SCVV members. The group included Ferne Cooper, Lori Gentry, Jan Gibson, Michele Bell, Liz Bolton, Melanie Lincoln, and Rosemary Murray. Nancy Main hosted the gathering.

Member Spotlight: Louise Carey

“My dream was always to live at the beach,” muses Louise Carey, who celebrated her 99th birthday in early April. Raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Helen Louise Otto spent her summers with her grandmother in Ventnor, New Jersey.

T-Shirts Are Ready to Wear

This spring you will notice many of our volunteers wearing new SCVV T-shirts and polo shirts, like the one modeled above by Steve Ricks in our Ocean View office.

Pretzels Anyone?

Our member Frannie Moyer stopped by the SCVV office—and dropped off both the heartfelt note at left and enough soft pretzels to feed an army of hungry volunteers! We all thank Frannie for bringing joy. And pretzels.

Volunteer Spotlight: Diane Maddex

Joan Gordon

Over the last year, Diane Maddex has quietly taken over one function of the South Coastal Village Volunteers’ communications after another: posting Facebook notifications, liaising with our website manager, and contributing to and now designing and producing the newsletter.

Do More 24

WE DID IT! Not only did we meet our goal, but we surpassed it. Your donations to South Coastal Village Volunteers came to $5,020.