It may be hot outside, but the warmth of conversation is always welcomed when Neighbors Network Members and Volunteers get together. These conversations, whether they are during rides to appointments, while working on a task in the home, or at the monthly activities, build relationships that make Neighbors Network special. Members say they look forward to talking with the Volunteers, and the Volunteers enjoy getting to know a little about the Members.
What’s New
Lively conversation flows in many directions when Creative Spirits gather in Veronica’s comfy back room. At this particular get together, some brought photo albums, prompting lots of laughter and fun memories. It is always a delight to hear the stories some Members share.
Upcoming
We have a busy August planned for Members: Lunch out, Scrabble, a speaker about “Senior Moments” (or, what is normal memory lapse and what isn’t), Share-a-Title book club, Paper Shredding pickup, Creative Spirits, and more!
Arrangements have been made for a small group of Members to try Virtual Reality headsets at the Winter Park Library. They’ll take a virtual trip around the world to “see” the Louvre in Paris, the Great Wall of China, other historical monuments and world-renowned art collections and cultural heritage sites.
Everyone is welcome to attend a presentation on memory loss on Monday, August 18, from 2:30 – 3:30 pm at the Maitland Public Library. Most of us of a certain age have wondered if our “senior moments” are a part of normal aging or increasing memory loss. Alexandra Mercier from the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (ADRC) will help us sort this out and share a great deal of info about cognitive issues. Neighbors Network organized this event, and it’s open to the public. Bring friends!
Spotlight on Members
“I love being a Neighbors Network Member, Gerri says. “My first experience was meeting Annette Kelly in 2020. She called me after I applied, and we talked for a while. Then she came to interview me in my home. She brought library books because she knew I love to read but couldn’t get out much. She’s older than me and so active, caring, relevant. Neighbors Network was an answer to my prayers. I found it on the internet trying to find resources, particularly transportation because my driving was coming to an end. None of the other organizations can compare to Neighbors Network. None come up to the standards of Neighbors Network.”
Gerri, 79, says she enjoys every day. “I don’t have everything I want, but I want everything I have. I like everything I have. People say they feel sorry for me because I don’t eat white flour or sugar. But, although I can’t eat everything I like, I like everything I eat.”
Her fondest memory from childhood was “every Saturday my stepmother would take me to the children’s area of the library. I loved it there.” It ignited her passion for reading and libraries, which led to her working for almost 20 years in libraries in maximum security prisons. She viewed the inmates as people who had made mistakes. “They were sons, brothers, fathers. I treated them with respect, as human beings. They loved me for it.” A few who worked for her call from time to time to let her know how they’re doing and thank her for how she helped them. A couple of them told her she “made their life livable. They would have died had it not been for the sunshine she brought into their life through books. “In my almost 20 years working in prisons, only a few of the people who worked there treated inmates as human beings. They distinguished between man, woman, and inmate. I could not think of them like that.”
Gerri has three dogs, all rescues, and an all-black cat, all of whom she adores.
Asked if there’s a Neighbors Network memory that stands out in her mind, Gerri said, “Every experience has been good.” She named some favorite Volunteers, then said, “Everyone I’ve met in Neighbors Network is special. They’re all lovely people. I didn’t know people like that still existed, like when I was a kid. Annette and the Volunteers “changed my outlook completely. There are excellent people out there.”
Thank You
We appreciate your interest in Neighbors Network and hope you will tell your friends and neighbors about us. Word-of-mouth is our best marketing tool. Members live in our service area and Volunteers can live anywhere. If your friends want to receive this monthly newsletter, just tell them to go to the bottom of any page in our website and sign up. Thank you!
Stay cool.