Island Volunteer Caregivers

09/04/2026

For the first time in IVC's history, our Community Resource Navigator & Program Manager Katie, and Life Enrichment Program Manager Lynn brought our care receivers together on September 1st for a very special celebration of IVC's 30th anniversary - 30 years of care, connection and community. 🎉

While our model has always been anchored in one-on-one relationships, this celebration was a beautiful reminder of how special it is to also gather as one big community. Volunteers and care receivers who usually know each other through their individual relationships got to meet and connect with so many others in the room — and the joy was contagious.

Thank you to everyone whose everyday care and intention made this event, and the relationships behind it, something people looked forward to and embraced. A special shoutout goes out to the band duo Buckshot - Mike Derzon and Johnny Bregar! Thank you for playing such beautiful music, it brought us so much joy.

Here's to 30 years of care, connection and community, and so many more gatherings to come! 🫶🏻🩵

08/21/2026

What a joyful morning. 🐶 Thank you to Assistance Dogs Northwest for bringing their pups — and so much comfort and connection — to today's Memory Cafe.

IVC is honored to help host this monthly gathering for people with memory loss and their care partners. It's made possible through our partnership with Bainbridge Island Senior Center, Bloedel Reserve, Housing Resources Bainbridge and The Aubin Aphasia Speech & Language Center, LLC — moments like these are exactly why we do this work 💙🐾🫶

08/21/2026

Flowers From the Heart is heading into its last week of the summer season! 🌷

If you’re new to IVC, here’s a little background on this beloved program:

Flowers From the Heart is one of IVC’s oldest and most cherished programs. Its purpose is simple but powerful: volunteers create and deliver handcrafted bouquets to care receivers and other community members who could use a little extra brightness in their day.

During July and August, the program uses approximately 12,000–13,000 locally grown stems, generously donated by growers and community members across Bainbridge Island.

At the heart of the program is Program Coordinator Robin Nigash, who has led Flowers From the Heart for 9 years. Robin coordinates each week’s floral needs and works closely with growers and volunteers to ensure there is a steady supply of beautiful bouquets for community members throughout the summer.

Behind the scenes, an extraordinary team of volunteers cuts, arranges, and delivers the finished bouquets throughout the island. In 2025 alone, volunteers arranged and delivered roughly 100 bouquets each week during the summer season.

These photos show the incredible flowers our Flower Expert, Bob Andersen, delivered to the program this week - approximately 800 stems in total. Just look at those colors!

We’re deeply grateful to Robin, Bob, our local growers and community donors, and every volunteer who helps bring Flowers From the Heart to life each year. 💐

08/20/2026

We love seeing Flowers From the Heart out in our community 💐🩵 Thank you, BCF, for all you do to help our island community flourish!

A beautiful delivery at the BCF office from our friends at Island Volunteer Caregivers

BCF staff were delighted to receive one of the gorgeous bouquets created through IVC’s Flowers From the Heart program.

For more than 20 years, community members have shared flowers from their gardens, which IVC volunteers lovingly arrange into bouquets and deliver to people throughout our community who may not otherwise be able to get out and enjoy the beauty of summer.

Such a simple and meaningful way to spread joy, kindness, and connection throughout Bainbridge Island. Thank you, IVC, for brightening our day and so many others!

08/04/2026

Join us for the 4th Memory Cafe in our series - a coffee and community morning for people experiencing memory loss and their care partners, with special visitors from Assistance Dogs NW, whose calm, gentle presence brings extra comfort and connection to the morning 🐾

All are welcome, regardless of memory loss condition or stage. Care partners can be spouses, adult children, friends, or professional caregivers. This is not a drop-off program.

📅 Friday, August 21, 2026
🕥 10:00–11:30 AM
📍 Fire Station 21, Bainbridge Island — 8895 Madison Ave NE

Tickets are free. Reserve yours at eventbrite.com/e/august-memory-cafe-tickets-1994716330240, or contact Misty Mountford at [email protected]

Hosted in partnership with Bainbridge Island Senior Center, Bloedel Reserve, Housing Resources Bainbridge and The Aubin Aphasia Speech & Language Center, LLC.

A memory café is a social gathering for individuals living with memory loss and their care partners.

07/31/2026

We’re grateful for community partners like Bainbridge Senior Living who share our commitment to supporting older adults on Bainbridge Island. 🩵🫶🏻 Thank you for all you do to support our community!

07/30/2026

Bainbridge — we need your help supporting our neighbors.

We're looking for volunteer drivers.

Island Volunteer Caregivers (IVC) has been connecting older adults and neighbors in need with volunteers for over 30 years. Right now, our greatest need is transportation - people who can give a few hours a week or even a month to take a neighbor to a doctor's appointment, the pharmacy, or a treatment they can't get to on their own.

27% of Bainbridge Island residents are 65 or older, and many live alone or without nearby support. Our island is aging. Demand for our services is growing, and we need to recruit more volunteers to meet that need.

We're not asking for a big commitment. The biggest perk of volunteering with IVC is flexibility - IVC fits into your life, not the other way around. You set your own schedule, drive your own car, and give a neighbor the support they need to stay independent.

Two hours can make someone's entire day - because for many of our care receivers, a ride to the grocery store or medical appointment isn't a convenience. It's a lifeline.

If you've ever wanted to help a neighbor and just didn't know how - this is how. IVC supports neighbors who are aging, living with a disability, or facing adversity. We believe no one should have to face life's challenges alone.

Learn more at https://www.ivcbainbridge.org/volunteer or message us here. We'd love to talk to you!

Our Volunteer Services Our Volunteers serve with open hearts and come to IVC with a desire to give back to their community. So many of our elderly are isolated and lonely, and the IVC volunteer may be the only person they connect with in days. IVC volunteers often become a constant presence in the ...

07/23/2026

For 30 years, IVC has cared for our community through the kindness of volunteers and the strength of neighbors helping neighbors.

If you believe in the power of connection, compassion, and community, we'd be honored to have your vote for Best Nonprofit in the Bainbridge Island Review's Best of Bainbridge.

Just a few days left — vote once a day through July 26th. Follow this link to vote: https://www.bainbridgereview.com/contests/best-of-bainbridge/ #/gallery?group=549653

07/08/2026

A big thank you to IVC volunteer Christopher von Koschembahr for driving IVC care receiver Jerry — known around the island as “Majick the Clown,” aka the “Balloon Man” — and his daughter Izzy in the Fourth of July parade! Jerry paid tribute to Evelyn Peratrovich, former president of the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) group and a cherished IVC care recipient.

Special thanks to our IVC and Senior Center volunteers who helped decorate the truck and make it all happen. What a wonderful celebration of community! 🇺🇸❤️💙🤍

04/21/2026

On Friday, April 17th, IVC hosted our annual Volunteer Appreciation event at BIMA - and what a night it was! 🩵🫶🏻

Volunteers, staff, and board members came together to celebrate the incredible work our volunteers do for our care receivers. Our Volunteer Manager Jackie shared a wonderful presentation on the history of IVC and how our programs have grown organically over the years. This is all thanks to our volunteers, who serve as our eyes and ears in the community, spotting gaps and opportunities where IVC can step in to strengthen support for our neighbors.

And the food? Catered by T&C - absolutely delicious! 🫶🏻

To our volunteers: thank you for showing up, again and again, for your neighbors. We couldn’t do this without you. 🩵🫶🏻