N2N In Action

Sometimes it starts with a simple story.  No joke.  A guy walks into the Senior Center... He asks about an inexpensive way into town for a doctor’s appointment because he’s on limited income and no longer drives.  He talks to Executive Director, Ava Apple, who tells him about the limited and sometimes inconvenient options currently available.

But, she adds his name to her growing list of seniors who come in with the same question: How can The Center help them remain independent in their homes.  

James is a ruggedly handsome Vashon guy with a gravelly voice, to whom that “things happen in life” event happened.   After a very interesting career in the movie business travelling around the country as a truck driver transporting movie sets hither and yon, a trip to the Seattle area in the ‘80s brought him to our idyllic little piece of heaven.

The island life had been good to him; he lived life, comfortable working both for himself and others.  In 2013, while visiting family in the south, he was struck by a car and ended up in a coma for nearly 3 weeks.   With broken bones all over his body, relentless pain and steel pins, he was slowly put back together but has been left with health issues that require continued surgeries.  And more await him. As often happens with such catastrophes, he now finds himself in need of social services, a situation that can be overwhelming and bewildering.  
                                                                      
On the day he walked in to The Center, the Neighbor to Neighbor program was just barely up and running.  It was near Christmas and his story tugged at heartstrings.  N2N volunteers added him to the small list of people to receive holiday packages. James, along with all the rest of the recipients, was surprised and pleased.  He received a great pair of XL gloves among other items. Then we found a N2N volunteer to take him to the Food Bank once a week.  Both of them enjoy good conversation on the way and during their walk through, (or wheelchair-through now, with walking more and more difficult).   James has developed relationships with the N2N people and is realizing that good people, who only want to help, want to help him.  The volunteers want to make a difference in someone’s life.  They want to help make the turns in life easier for those to whom those turns happen. 
                   
An amazing group of 52 volunteers on Vashon now read email blasts from Neighbor to Neighbor that might say, “Lovely women living in upper Gold Beach needs a ride to doctor’s appointment on Tuesday at 10:15 am.” Or, “Elderly gentleman with mobility issues needs a lift to the grocery store by the end of the week – daytime trips only.  Lives at the bottom of a steep,curvy driveway with low clearance.” Or, “Woman living in town needs help hanging a large painting.  All supplies provided but you will need to bring a drill.”   

Now that the program is stable and growing, we need more of each: volunteers and more recipients! Word is getting around and many are repeat customers. So how about adding your name to either list: volunteers or people who need a little help!  Either way you benefit. So join us—it is so totally worth it. Call the Senior Center at 463-5173.