Outreach Program

Outreach is a free service assisting adults 60 years and older to remain safely in their homes. Outreach is a non-denominational program sponsored by Unitarian Universalist House and made possible by our Lycoming House endowment as a service to the Northwest community.

Services
Outreach's caring, seasoned professionals treat you with the respect you deserve. We're here to help with a wide array of services and support, including:
Visits to your home to help identify concerns
Planning that respects your wishes
Support in decision making
Ideas and suggestions for aging well
Linkage to services and programs
Tips and strategies for caregivers
Health promotion presentations
Periodic blood pressure screenings
Assistance with health information events for your church, committee, or other group

Service Areas
Our service areas include Germantown, Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill, West Oak Lane, and parts of East Falls. More specifically, covered zip codes include:
All of 19118, 19119, 19138, 19144, and 19150
19126, 19140, and 19141 west of Broad Street
19129 (in East Falls)




Client
Assistance Fund
General
Operations
UU Endowment Other


Meet the Outreach Team

Mary Fallon, Director
Mary has been working with older adults since 1976 and has been leading Outreach since the program's inception in May 1999. In addition to hiring, training, and supervising staff, Mary works directly with clients and represents the program on various boards and committees. She has an M.A. in Social Gerontology from the University of Pennsylvania and completes continuing education to maintain her license as a Pennsylvania nursing home administrator.

When it comes to serving Outreach clients, Mary is sympathetic, creative, and dedicated. She considers it a privilege to enter an older person's home, meet the person, and make that individual connection. "When I interview people, they know I am totally present in that moment, and that I respect them and value them as individuals," Mary says, adding that she's inspired by all the wonderful role models she's met through the Outreach program.

Roberta Balsam, Social Worker
Roberta has a B.A. in Sociology from Temple University and a Master's in Community Counseling and Human Relationships from Villanova University. After many years of working with young people in a variety of social service and educational environments, she took a job working with older people and discovered a great passion—and a great need. In 2005, she joined the Outreach team. Since then, Outreach clients have been benefitting from Roberta's social work skills and her passion for bringing the best wellness and health promotion activities to the people she serves.

Roberta enjoys the collaborative aspect of her job, which encourages her to work cooperatively with other service organizations in Northwest Philadelphia. She also enjoys developing programs that focus on the positive aspects of aging. And she's proud of how Outreach helps clients: "As a free service, the Outreach program is able to offer counsel to our clients without influence from funding sources or governmental agencies," Roberta explains. "This provides a measure of confidentiality to our clients and helps maintain our uniquely client-centered approach."

Sheila Smith, RN., Neighborhood Nurse
Sheila has been in the nursing field for 30 years, having graduated with a BSN from Villanova University in 1982. Since then, she has gleaned much knowledge from working in a variety of settings, including Presbyterian Hospital, Booth Maternity Hospital, Community Health Affiliates in Ardmore, and the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. The majority of her experience has been in the Home Care field; she spent 19 years with Abington Hospital Home Care. Sheila joined the Outreach team in 2012.

Sheila has always enjoyed working with the senior population, and has great respect and admiration for them. As the registered nurse for Outreach, Sheila conducts BP screenings, provides information on various medical issues pertinent to the client, and supports the client’s independence and safety at home. “The Outreach Program provides a wonderful resource to the geriatric community, and I am very happy to be part of it. “

Laurie Laskey, B.A., Maple Village Social Services Coordinator
Laurie Laskey, a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Welfare, has worked in the field of aging for more than 25 years. She has held a variety of positions, with experience providing both direct services and social service program administration.

Laurie is a seasoned social worker with a diverse skill set including counseling, assessment, problem-solving, advocacy, group facilitation, outreach, marketing, program development and communication. Laurie has conducted trainings, and has been a presenter at local and national conferences on aging. She has appeared on television and spoken on the radio about many aging topics. As a member of the UU House Outreach Program team, Laurie currently provides social services coordination at Maple Village, an apartment building for older adults.

Contact Us
If you or someone you know could use these free services, please contact the Outreach Program
at 215-843-5881 or via email


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