News From Your Neighbors, Neighbors Who Care, Inc. – November 2014

Giving thanks

Eric Ehst, Executive Director

It’s that time of year when we stop and reflect on the good things we are thankful for. For Neighbors Who Care it is easy to make such a list. We’re thankful for the tireless efforts of the many volunteers who give their time and energy to help their homebound and disabled neighbors. We’re thankful for the partnership and support of the myriad community organizations, congregations and local businesses that help us recruit volunteers, raise funds and provide vital services. We’re thankful to the staff members who work long hours for less pay than they could be making elsewhere. We’re thankful to the foundations and philanthropists who grant us desperately needed money to operate. We’re even more thankful to the hundreds of community members whose personal donations provide the bulk of our budget and really keep us in business. I’m not going to name names because the list is too long and I’d surely leave someone out. But, thank you all!

I can never be as eloquent as the cards and letters we receive almost daily from the people you have helped to remain in their own homes, living independently with pride and dignity. Below are a few excerpts that represent their feelings.

“Thank you for coming to my rescue at a vulnerable time in my life.”

“It means so much that the help you give so generously enables my mom to live the life she loves.”

“Without your help and kindness I’d be in a home.”

Your help, through Neighbors Who Care, changes lives.

A few changes have occurred in our office. We’re happy to welcome our new office manager, Verna Mahnke. Verna recently moved to Sun Lakes from Colorado and she has a long background in office management and bookkeeping. We are also very happy to have an Encore Fellow provided through Experience Matters. Mira Suschak is a recently retired project manager from Intel. She will be working with us for the next six months to study how well we’re meeting the community’s needs, what more we can do, and how we can better connect with the organizations, businesses, and people in our service area.

Be sure to save the date for our annual Holiday Concert with the Chandler Symphony. Shows will be at 3:00 pm. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 7 at the Sun Lakes Methodist Church. Tickets are only $10 (proceeds split between Neighbors Who Care and the Symphony) and are available from all Sun Lakes congregations, NWC and the Symphony.

As always, if you know of someone who needs our help or if you would like to experience the deep personal satisfaction that comes from volunteering to assist your neighbors, contact us at 480-895-7133; e-mail www.neighborswhocare.com.