Representatives of Cerritos, Calif.-based CareMore, showed up in force Nov. 20 in front of the Forgiving Paws Thrift Shop to give away 50 turkeys to Medicare-eligible residents for the holidays.
Actually, because of the warm weather, Rosyln Jacobs, regional sales manager, said she bought just 10 turkeys that morning from Lucky market across the street, along with 45 gift cards worth $15 each.
Jacobs, who works in Gilroy, said CareMore is a Medicare health plan company that just recently came to Hollister. She said the company organizes events called “mini camps” to partner with senior centers and other companies and organizations to bring entertainment and food to seniors.
“We’re very big in the community because we know it’s not just about medication and healthcare,” she said. “The social side is also very important for a senior. Today, we partnered with Forgiving Paws because a lot of seniors come here to shop. And I have a budget where I can say, ‘We can do this because it’s a good service.’”
She said such events are not only goodwill gestures, but also a good way to promote the company.
“You don’t hear a lot about us,” she said. “We don’t spend a lot of money on advertising. Instead, we do local community events like this. We want to give to seniors because many are on fixed incomes, so if we can give a turkey, ham or something else to someone it’s a good thing.”
She said the gift cards are good at any market in the SaveMart Supermarket chain of stores, which includes Lucky.
“We want to support the local store, too,” she said.
She said local representatives of the company set up tables outside Forgiving Paws a couple times a week. In partnering with CareMore, Friendly Paws is benefiting from the symbiotic relationship as it donates its profits above operating expenses to a number of animal organizations, such as: Operation Freedom Paws, which provides dogs to veterans; Pet Friends Center; the Central Coast Pug Rescue; and Peace-of-Mind Dog Rescue.
“The idea is to have the opportunity to meet Medicare recipients who come here so we can let them know about us,” she said. “We’re partnering with local doctors here at San Benito Medical Association. We provide Parts C and D, the medical insurance and subscription drugs, of Medicare. So, for zero or a very low premium, we cover our members’ health insurance.”
She said the company also delivers healthcare.
“We’re very into the managing of the chronic diseases, so we actually have a medical team in Gilroy,” she said. “We’re not taking away from the primary care physicians. We partner with them but we’ll manage those chronic diseases that are more time consuming.”
