Dear John,
One of the first things we understood about the pandemic in those early days last year was that older people were most vulnerable and needed to stay isolated. On March 13, 2020 we put out a call for volunteers to help check in on older New Yorkers. More than 400 of you responded right away.
In the year since, hundreds of people have been part of our Neighbor Network program, working with our partners Heights and Hills and Greenwich Houses to connect elderly, home-bound neighbors to services and friendly companionship.
Now, the Neighbor Network is expanding vaccine outreach to seniors in Central Brooklyn to help people get scheduled for appointments.
Join our phonebank on Tuesday night from 5:30-7:30 PM
In the first few weeks of this crisis, these volunteer calls were about making sure people had the food and medicine they needed to stay home. But it soon became clear too that addressing isolation was an essential need too. Volunteers were matched with specific seniors, and made weekly calls to develop deeper relationships of support.
At a time when we are all feeling more isolated, these connections have been enriching for people on both ends of the phone line. As one regular caller earlier this year said:
“I started making the calls because I wanted to support seniors in our community around the physical and emotional challenges of the COVID-19 quarantine. What I found is that their spirit, generosity, and wisdom are actually supporting me."
Tuesday's phonebank is geared toward reaching older people in Central Brooklyn to help them access the vaccine, but we're also looking for more volunteers to join our ongoing Friendly Calls program or to sign up be trained as Vaccine Navigators for ongoing support.
Thank you all for all the ways that you have stepped up to support others this year.
Brad
