RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Resident Teresa Alexander joined the Sheriff’s Senior Citizens Awareness Network about five years ago.

 

Volunteer SCAN co-coordinators E.T. and Clarence Guice enrolled her and conducted a home safety study. They determined she needed smoke alarms for her home. During their next visit, firefighters installed several smoke detectors.

 

“It makes me feel safer,” Alexander said of the immediate care by the Guices. “I’m blessed by having a partnership with them.” Alexander described how SCAN impacts her life when she attended the annual SCAN picnic and bingo game Wednesday at Lane Agri-Center. The picnic was sponsored by SCAN and the Sheriff’s Community Services Unit. SCAN volunteer Mary Rayburn helps her regularly.

“Mary is a blessing,” Alexander said. “She checks on me every week.”

 

SCAN members deliver food regularly. At Christmas, SCAN partners with community members to provide Christmas presents to about 80 SCAN members, many who live alone and do not have family members who celebrate the holidays with them.

 

“I am blessed to be part of this program,” Alexander said. She credited the SCAN volunteers. “These people doing this program, they are volunteers,” Alexander said. “They don’t get paid for this.” Alexander believes the SCAN volunteers will be compensated in other ways. “One day, they will get a bountiful reward for doing this,” Alexander said. “I love them.”

People interested in serving senior citizens as SCAN volunteer may contact the Guices at the Sheriff’s SCAN Office at 615-904-3139.