During the month of May, volunteer drivers for the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center’s “Meals on Wheels” program are receiving CPR training thanks to a partnership with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, LBW Insurance and Financial Services and Superior Life Support, Inc.

When the Senior Center expressed a desire to do CPR training, LBW Insurance, the insurance agent for the SCV Senior Center, looked for ways to subsidize the costs and offer support to the organization.

“We realized the hospital was doing CPR classes for the community so we reached out to see if there was a way to provide that training to Senior Center volunteers,” LBW’s CEO Mitzi Like explains. “Initially, Superior Life Support said they would donate their facility and the trainers’ time while Henry Mayo and LBW agreed to cover the costs of materials. Now, we’re giving huge kudos to Superior Life Support as they’ve decided to cover all of the costs. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

Superior Life Support Inc. was established for the purpose of providing the best quality products, safety education and training for the treatment of workplace injuries, stroke and cardiac events.

“We are dedicated to empowering lifesavers through proper training,” said Katie Dierberger, Training Manager and AHA Training Center Coordinator for Superior Life Support. “We are excited to partner with our community, including Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and LBW, to help make lifesaving skills accessible to people of all ages. Because only 1% of the population is CPR certified, we are committed to helping to increase that percentage and are looking forward to having that number grow in our community.”

The project has been a joint effort and a great example of community partners working together for the benefit of Santa Clarita’s seniors. The volunteer drivers are enthusiastic about receiving this training. They’ve expressed a desire to be more prepared as they knock on the doors of our senior citizens.

“Henry Mayo is excited to be part of this collaborative community effort to benefit seniors here in Santa Clarita,” said Emily Kim, Marketing and Community Benefit Specialist for Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. “Offering CPR training to the Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers will help to prepare them if a situation arises during a visit with a Meals on Wheels client.”

The meals are important, of course, but even more, the daily check to be sure the seniors are up and mobile is incredibly valuable. Volunteers will now feel more prepared should they come across someone in distress.

“Our mission is to improve the health of our community through compassion and excellence in healthcare services,” said Patrick Moody, Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Community Benefit at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. “CPR training does exactly that.”