If you see something, say (and do) something
Eric Ehst
There seem to be a lot of things to be terrified of these days. We’re constantly bombarded with warnings about terrorism, crime, disease and other catastrophes. We’re warned to stay alert and be ready to speed dial 9-1-1 at the slightest hint of danger. The problem is that all of those things that make us afraid are not the biggest threats to life and happiness in our community.
The unseen force that silently sneaks up on us here is loss of independence. As we age, we gradually lose the ability to perform some of the critical functions of independent life. We can no longer drive, in a place where driving is essential, and there are few alternatives. We can’t climb a ladder to change a light bulb. We can’t see well enough to balance the checkbook. Our spouse suffers from memory loss. Worse yet, we moved here from elsewhere and have no local family to help out. We’ve all seen it happen to our friends and neighbors. They don’t want to be a burden on others. In many cases, they can’t afford to pay for in-home assistance. And, most of all, they don’t want to give up their homes and independence, moving into unfamiliar and unfriendly surroundings, either in a facility or with family.
Neighbors Who Care provides an alternative to that unpleasant scenario. Our cadre of caring volunteers perform some of those daily functions that people can no longer do for themselves; driving to medical appointments, shopping, changing a lightbulb, reading the mail, sitting with a spouse while the caregiver runs an errand and many others. Every day, our volunteers prove that little acts of kindness have a big impact. Here are some quotes from real people we’ve helped:
“Thank you for coming to my rescue!”
“The lightbulb in my closet is still shining. I’ll never forget you.”
“Without your help and kindness, I’d be in a home.”
We currently have over 1700 community members in our database who are registered to receive our help. But we know that there are more people out there who could benefit from our services who don’t know about us. And, every day, more people find themselves unable to do some task that used to come easily.
This is where you come in. We all know friends, neighbors and family who need some help to get by. If you know someone who needs assistance, help them contact us. As the need grows, so does the need for volunteers to help out. We need friendly people to perform a wide variety of simple tasks for their neighbors. There’s no minimum commitment. Do as little or as much as you feel comfortable with. You can insure that we’ll be here in the future when you or a family member needs help.
Keep a friendly eye on the community. If you see someone who needs help, say (and do) something.
For more information, go to www.NeighborsWhoCare.com or call 480-895-7133.