The 2023 LEGACY Awards, which recognize the contributions of Ventura County residents and organizations that dedicate their lives to helping older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers to live optimally, were presented on Wednesday morning at the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s Advisory Council meeting.
Since 2018, the Advisory Council’s Optimal Aging Committee has annually presented LEGACY Awards to a local business/organization, to Dementia Friendly business/organizations, and to community members/volunteers.
The 2023 winners are:
- Chef David’s Kitchen & Catering (business/organization)
- Maywood Acres Healthcare (Dementia Friendly business/organization)
- George Lopez (community member/volunteer)
- Andrea Ortiz (community member/volunteer)
Chef David’s Kitchen & Catering opened in Santa Paula in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The owner, David Raigoza, quickly pivoted to take-out food, and earned a reputation for helping others. He has been called a local hero in Santa Paula, and has been doing all this while also battling a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.
Maywood Acres Healthcare is a 98-bed skilled nursing facility in Oxnard that cares for more than 25 long-term residents that have been diagnosed with some form of dementia. Maywood Acres has received “Dementia Friendly” status and has required all of its staff to take part in the training video.
George Lopez is a retired IRS tax professional who has used his knowledge of the subject to provide free tax services to people in need. And, for nearly 10 years, he has been a registered volunteer counselor with the California Department of Aging,
Andrea Ortiz volunteers with the OASIS program at Catholic Charities. As part of the program, she helps transport OASIS clients to their medical appointments, but also does much more.
The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, a division of the County of Ventura’s Human Services Agency, is charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals, children and adults with disabilities, and their caregivers to live in a community-based setting. The VCAAA advocates for the needs of those 60 years and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.
More information about the LEGACY Award and past winners can be found at www.vcaaa.org/legacy.
