MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Ten-Woman ACCAP Team Strengthens the Network Supporting Anoka County Seniors
The Anoka County residents administer four programs that help older adults find services, maintain their homes, overcome isolation and continue living independently.
ANOKA, MN (September 14, 2026). Ten Anoka County women whose daily work helps older residents remain connected, supported and independent recently stepped away from their offices to strengthen another part of the local network serving seniors.
The Anoka County Community Action Program’s Senior Programs team toured the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office facilities with Chief Deputy Bill Jacobson and Deputy Tyler Bouchard.
The visit gave team members a closer look at the Sheriff’s Office operation and reinforced ACCAP’s working relationships with law enforcement, public safety and social-service agencies across the county.
The ACCAP team, Jacobson and Bouchard shared lunch following the tour.
Although the gathering provided an opportunity for professional connection, it also brought attention to a group of local women whose work frequently takes place outside public view.
All 10 members of the Senior Programs team live in Anoka County. Together, they administer four programs serving older residents: the Senior Information Line, Chores & More, Senior Outreach and Senior Kinship Program.
ACCAP says its senior programs provide free or affordable assistance to Anoka County residents age 60 and older, helping them remain independent and active in their communities.
ONE PHONE CALL TO FIND HELP
The Senior Information Line connects older adults and their family members with community services involving housing, transportation, household chores, support programs and other needs.
The service does more than give callers a telephone number and end the conversation. ACCAP says staff follow up to determine whether callers reached the recommended provider and whether the service met their needs. If it did not, staff can explore other options.
The free line operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 763-783-4707.
Callers may also request ACCAP’s senior housing guide, which includes market-rate, subsidized and public housing, assisted-living facilities and memory-care options across the metropolitan area.
HELP KEEPING A HOME SAFE
Chores & More assists older residents with housekeeping, seasonal yard work, snow removal and minor home repairs.
Services can include cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, changing bed linens, mowing, raking, replacing light bulbs, checking smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors and addressing minor problems with faucets or light fixtures.
For some residents, that assistance may be temporary while recovering from an illness, injury or hospitalization. For others, it can become part of the support that makes continued independent living possible.
Screened independent contractors and volunteers from community organizations, churches and schools complete the work.
Anoka County residents age 60 and older may be referred by public-health agencies, social-service agencies, family members or friends. Residents may also refer themselves.
Some services are available to income-eligible clients through a sliding-fee scale or suggested donation. ACCAP says waiting lists may exist for particular services or communities depending on contractor availability, with priority given to low-income households.
Chores & More can be reached at 763-783-4767.
REACHING ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS
Senior Outreach responds to concerns involving isolated older adults, with particular attention to residents with lower incomes who want to remain in their homes.
Family members, neighbors, clergy, senior-center leaders, county employees and older adults themselves may request assistance.
An outreach worker meets with the resident at home or at an ACCAP office, identifies immediate needs, reviews services already in place and discusses available programs.
Workers can connect residents with Meals on Wheels, congregate dining, food shelves, public-health nursing, economic assistance, senior clubs, energy assistance, chore services and other community resources.
They can also help complete applications and recertifications for programs such as Medical Assistance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Senior Outreach is available at 763-783-4741 or seniorprograms@accap.org.
COMPANIONSHIP AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT
The Senior Kinship Program connects volunteers with Anoka County residents age 60 and older who may be isolated or homebound.
Volunteers may provide companionship, transportation, outings, assistance with errands and rides to medical or nonmedical appointments.
ACCAP’s website currently states that the Senior Kinship waiting list is closed and that new referrals are not being accepted. Residents may call 763-783-4745 for updates.
The program continues to recruit volunteers for roles including home visits, transportation, donation delivery, warmline support and community service projects.
For older adults living alone or with limited mobility, contact with law enforcement, emergency personnel or social-service agencies may occur during moments of heightened vulnerability. Strong working relationships among those organizations can make it easier to identify needs and connect residents with appropriate help.
ACCAP credited the Senior Programs team’s dedication, commitment and knowledge with making the organization’s services valuable to the community.
More information is available through ACCAP Senior Services. General inquiries may be directed to 763-783-4747.
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