Volunteer program lets older members keep living in their neighborhoods
SEATTLE -- Marianne Scruggs loves to garden. But this isn't her yard. She's weeding for 82-year-old Dori Wright.
"It's really hard to get down on my knees," Wright explains. "The knees hurt. And it's really hard to get up."
Dori and Marianne met through a new program called "NEST" - short for North East Seattle Together. NEST serves Bryant, Hawthorne Hills, Inverness, Laurelhurst, Maple Leaf, Matthews Beach, Meadowbrook, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Sandpoint, University District, View Ridge, Wedgwood, and Windermere neighborhoods.
The program pairs volunteers with older neighbors who need a helping hand.
"We do all sorts of things. Transportation," said Scruggs who is the volunteer coordinator. "We have one person who we give a ride to Green Lake every week so she can go walking. We have someone who just had surgery who needs her (trash) bins moved every week."
The idea is to keep the older members living in their neighborhoods. Nearly 30 people have signed up for help, and about 50 people agreed to volunteer.
Eileen Long had someone come to her home and give her computer tips. Long was able to laugh about what was going wrong, but importantly, the volunteer did not laugh at her.
"They found the reason my printer didn't work was I put the paper in the storage tray and not the tray that takes the paper to do the printing. It took her two minutes, not even that, to figure out," Long said. "For people who've been very independent all their lives, asking for help is sometimes difficult. I think this program's set up in a beautiful way that asking and giving help is easy."
Wright has lived in her home for 44 years, spending much of her time outside.
"I have this garden and I just hated to leave it," she said. "But I knew I couldn't maintain it forever. When I found out about NEST and they would help me I thought, 'Well I could stay here.' I would certainly rather be a participant of life than an observer of life. And if I went to a retirement home I think that's what would happen."
If you are interested in joining NEST, there is an annual fee of $600. The group is also looking for volunteers. Find out more at NestSeattle.org
"It's really hard to get down on my knees," Wright explains. "The knees hurt. And it's really hard to get up."
Dori and Marianne met through a new program called "NEST" - short for North East Seattle Together. NEST serves Bryant, Hawthorne Hills, Inverness, Laurelhurst, Maple Leaf, Matthews Beach, Meadowbrook, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Sandpoint, University District, View Ridge, Wedgwood, and Windermere neighborhoods.
The program pairs volunteers with older neighbors who need a helping hand.
"We do all sorts of things. Transportation," said Scruggs who is the volunteer coordinator. "We have one person who we give a ride to Green Lake every week so she can go walking. We have someone who just had surgery who needs her (trash) bins moved every week."
The idea is to keep the older members living in their neighborhoods. Nearly 30 people have signed up for help, and about 50 people agreed to volunteer.
Eileen Long had someone come to her home and give her computer tips. Long was able to laugh about what was going wrong, but importantly, the volunteer did not laugh at her.
"They found the reason my printer didn't work was I put the paper in the storage tray and not the tray that takes the paper to do the printing. It took her two minutes, not even that, to figure out," Long said. "For people who've been very independent all their lives, asking for help is sometimes difficult. I think this program's set up in a beautiful way that asking and giving help is easy."
Wright has lived in her home for 44 years, spending much of her time outside.
"I have this garden and I just hated to leave it," she said. "But I knew I couldn't maintain it forever. When I found out about NEST and they would help me I thought, 'Well I could stay here.' I would certainly rather be a participant of life than an observer of life. And if I went to a retirement home I think that's what would happen."
If you are interested in joining NEST, there is an annual fee of $600. The group is also looking for volunteers. Find out more at NestSeattle.org
