Hello Friends,
Happy February! It’s nice to have a day dedicated to celebrating love, but love is really in the moments, isn’t it? In the commitment to be there for another person, in the good and the trying times. Love is sharing life and experiences. Love is the lifeblood of Neighbors Network. While we don’t outright say “We love you,” we hope every Member, Volunteer, Donor and Friend knows just how much we love and appreciate you. Every day of the year.
What’s New
Meet Cindy Williams – Executive Director
Cathy Lieblich, Board President, proudly announced the appointment of Cindy Williams as our new part-time Executive Director thanks to a generous grant from Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation. “Cindy has 16 years experience as an Executive Director and Development Director, both on a full-time and interim basis. She is especially interested and skilled in growing nonprofit organizations, which makes her a perfect fit as we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year. We have a strong interest in growing so that we can support more older adults in their desire to stay living in their own home and actively engaged in the community,” Cathy said.
A very personal experience with her Aunt Janet (79) sparked Cindy’s interest in Neighbors Network. “Aunt Janet was living alone in St. Petersburg in her home of 50+ years after her husband died. I helped her through that process and was disappointed to find that there were no services in her community to help her continue living independently, as she wanted. Aunt Janet’s only son had died years ago, so she was the only one left. Her other relatives all lived out of state.
“I told my Uncle John before he died that I would take care of Janet. But, as her Parkinson’s worsened, her ability to take care of herself diminished. She lived in a house that had been let go for years. I tried to convince her to move to an ALF, but she adamantly refused. After trying every resource I could think of in the area, I suggested she join a church, even though she had always said she did not believe in God. She agreed! Thankfully, some church members wrapped their arms around her—visiting her, taking her to lunch, driving her to doctor visits and grocery shopping, and calling to check on her. About a year later, one of her new friends stopped by to visit and found her unconscious on her bedroom floor. Aunt Janet passed a few weeks later in a hospice care center.”
When Cindy heard about Neighbors Network and what it does, she was impressed. She wished it had been available for her Aunt. “I love the idea of making Neighbors Network available to people wanting to live safely in their homes as they age. The whole concept draws me to it,” she said. “It’s the best-kept secret! I’m looking forward to growing it with more volunteers, members, and donors to help more of our neighbors.”
As a UCF graduate with an MBA, Cindy has deep roots in Central Florida. She has “worked with several organizations when they were small, unknown, and ready to grow,” she said. “My wish for Neighbors Network is that it becomes a household name and that more people—friends, family members, doctors, lawyers, priests, ministers, rabbis—know it well and refer to it when needed, and that we will have the volunteers and staff to serve them all.”
We look forward to working with Cindy!
New Volunteer Coordinator-Services
Meet Joanna Flora, our new Volunteer Coordinator-Services. Joanna comes to us with a Masters in Psychology. She worked in a rehabilitation setting for many years with stroke victims, many of them older adults. She then took time off to raise her two daughters, now 13 and 15. Most recently, Joanna volunteered with the Brain Fitness Academy in Maitland. The director there knew she wanted a part-time job and encouraged her to apply for this role because she thinks so highly of Joanna. Lucky for us! Joanna said, “I enjoy working with older adults and want my work to be fulfilling so that I feel like I’m making an impact in my community and people’s lives. This job meets those needs, and I believe my background will be a good fit.”
We are delighted to have Joanna join our team!
Upcoming
Winter Park Public Library, Sunday, Feb 15, at 3 – 4:30. Open to the public. Pullman: America’s Hotel on Wheels presented by documentarian Richard Luckin and local historian Bonnie Hansen. They will explore Peter Hansen’s work on Pullman trains, first-person recollections from employees and passengers, how Pullman routed its cars, the various types of accommodations, and how being Pullman porters affected the economic prospects of African-Americans nationwide. Registration is required. Please register at the library website calendar. If there’s a problem, call Rachel Simmons at the library: 407-623-3300 x 2070.
Spotlight on Volunteers
Daniel Gruenbaum came to us in 2022 with an interesting background and a desire to help. He described himself as a retired cabinet maker, but he’s much more than that. Members enjoy talking with him because he’s a good listener. He’s fascinated by their stories. “Every ride I do is a chance to hear another story from a Member. They’re fascinating, even though they don’t think of themselves that way,” he said.
Daniel learned early in life that listening to older adults is a good way to learn. His strong work ethic developed as a boy working with his grandfather on his farm in Ohio. He became pretty handy at fixing all kinds of things.
This led him to a career filled with creating and building exhibits for museums, conventions, and theme parks. In the last 18 years before retiring, Daniel was Exhibit Manager at Kennedy Space Center overseeing their collection of artifacts and helping to write stories about them, some of which had gone to the moon.
Over time it became clear to him that “it’s not about the things that are on display, it’s the human interactions with the things.” What fascinated Daniel was finding and writing the stories about the people who created them, what they were used for, where they were used, including outer space. “I would think about who came up with the idea for the thing, who took it there, what did it do? The human connection makes things come alive.”
His curiosity and listening skills enhance every experience he has with NN Members. Every ride he provides is an opportunity to hear another story, and that endears him to Members. He never knows where a simple question will take them. It has run the gamut from baseball, to Vietnam, to the first female engineering student after being told for years she couldn’t possibly succeed. She did with her degree and with her job at Lockheed Martin.
Daniel also puts his many skills to work in response to Member requests for all kinds of fixes in their home. He helps with some technology problems, too. “I enjoy working on what the Members want to have fixed,” he says. “Whatever they need done, I’ll do my best to fix it.”
Thank you, Daniel, for your can-do spirit and for all you do for our Members.
Thank You
We appreciate that you share our interest in helping adults 55 and older who want to continue living independently, confidently and safely in the homes they love. Most of our Members are in their 70s, 80s and 90s. If you have friends, family members or neighbors you think may be interested in becoming members, volunteering, donating or learning about Neighbors Network, please pass this newsletter on to them. Thank you!
From our hearts to yours, we wish you a month filled with loving your neighbors near and far.