Many of us arebrfamiliar with thebrconcept of “payingbrit forward.” When you dobrsomething nice for anotherbrperson, they, in turn, dobrsomething kind for someonebrelse. A chain of good deedsbris created, making for a morebrpositive and productivebrcommunity.
brFor the past 20 years, thebrMaryland nonprofit PartnersbrIn Care has taken the ideabrof paying it forward andbrincreased its viability andbrvisibility within AnnebrArundel County (andbrseveral others) using abrunique concept called time-banking: every time you volunteer to helpbrsomeone, be it a ride to the doctor or repairing a leaky sink, you “bank”brtime you can use to request help from another volunteer member inbrthe future. The dedicated team at PIC is in charge of organizing thesebrservice “matches,” ensuring each exchange is smooth and practical.brSo who exactly are the volunteers helping and being helped? With abrmission to empower senior citizens to live independently and happilybrin their own homes while fortifying community ties, Partners In Carebrmainly serves older adults. Barbara Huston, one of the founders ofbrPIC and current president, explains the importance of this service:br“Older adults are an integral part of a vibrant society. Partners InbrCare offers a caring network of support where older adults can receivebrhelp with dignity and be affirmed of their worth…The program wasbrconceived with the idea that older adults want to age in the homes andbrcommunities that they love, that everyone has valuable gifts and talents,brand that within a lifespan we have times of need and times when webrcan help.”
brOne of the oldest and most popular services is the transportationbrprogram, Ride Partners, in which volunteers drop off and pickbrup fellow members to and from wherever they need to go. Thebrtransportation program has expanded recently to include the PIC-upbrBus, a 24-hour wheelchair accessible bus for the more than 2,000brmembers of PIC today.
brRepairs With Care is another service that has seen immense growth.brBeginning in 1997, with the help of The United Way of CentralbrMaryland, this program allows members to request jobs they needbrdone around the home, such as lawn work, cleaning, and repairingbrappliances.
There also is The Boutique, PIC’s own thrift store that brings in 30brpercent of the funds for all of the organization’s programs. Jewelry,brclothes, furniture, books, and accessories are donated and sold with thebrhelp of more than 100 members who volunteer to help operate the store.brAn implicit benefit of all the programs of PIC is the camaraderie andbrsense of community fostered when people come together to help eachbrother. This fights the social isolation that often occurs with older folksbrliving on their own—another fervent goal of the nonprofit. However,brPIC has recently developed a new social initiative called Member Carebrto address this goal more directly, providing older adults with socialbropportunities and visits, along with help in finding community resources.br2013 is a special year for Partners In Care, as the organization isbrcelebrating its 20th anniversary of making a difference in people’s lives.
brConsidering the recent economic recession, this is a feat worthy ofbrcommemoration for a nonprofit such as PIC. Huston is deeply satisfiedbrwith the achievement: “This organization has not only survived, butbrhas thrived, continuing to provide important neighborly services tobrhundreds of older adults every month. On a personal level, it is extremelybrgratifying to see that an idea on paper conceived by the three foundersbrhas developed into a vibrant network of caring support.”
brbrHuston is looking forward to increasing awareness of the organization’sbrmission in the community in the future, as well, especially within anbraging population such as the United States’. She plans to make thisbrhappen through collaboration with several other groups focused onbrsupporting older adults, one being the national Coming of Age initiativebrat its new site in Maryland. This program will assist adults 50 and olderbrwith exploring options for their future, and train businesses and otherbrnonprofi ts that wish to hire more of the population from this age group.brBut fi rst, Partners In Care will be taking a much deserved night tobrcelebrate its accomplishments. On September 21st at the Chartwell, PICbrwill hold an anniversary dinner to mark 20 years and honor volunteers.brVisit www.partnersincare.org to learn more about the event andbrorganization.
—Karlie Frank
brFor the past 20 years, thebrMaryland nonprofit PartnersbrIn Care has taken the ideabrof paying it forward andbrincreased its viability andbrvisibility within AnnebrArundel County (andbrseveral others) using abrunique concept called time-banking: every time you volunteer to helpbrsomeone, be it a ride to the doctor or repairing a leaky sink, you “bank”brtime you can use to request help from another volunteer member inbrthe future. The dedicated team at PIC is in charge of organizing thesebrservice “matches,” ensuring each exchange is smooth and practical.brSo who exactly are the volunteers helping and being helped? With abrmission to empower senior citizens to live independently and happilybrin their own homes while fortifying community ties, Partners In Carebrmainly serves older adults. Barbara Huston, one of the founders ofbrPIC and current president, explains the importance of this service:br“Older adults are an integral part of a vibrant society. Partners InbrCare offers a caring network of support where older adults can receivebrhelp with dignity and be affirmed of their worth…The program wasbrconceived with the idea that older adults want to age in the homes andbrcommunities that they love, that everyone has valuable gifts and talents,brand that within a lifespan we have times of need and times when webrcan help.”
brOne of the oldest and most popular services is the transportationbrprogram, Ride Partners, in which volunteers drop off and pickbrup fellow members to and from wherever they need to go. Thebrtransportation program has expanded recently to include the PIC-upbrBus, a 24-hour wheelchair accessible bus for the more than 2,000brmembers of PIC today.
brRepairs With Care is another service that has seen immense growth.brBeginning in 1997, with the help of The United Way of CentralbrMaryland, this program allows members to request jobs they needbrdone around the home, such as lawn work, cleaning, and repairingbrappliances.
There also is The Boutique, PIC’s own thrift store that brings in 30brpercent of the funds for all of the organization’s programs. Jewelry,brclothes, furniture, books, and accessories are donated and sold with thebrhelp of more than 100 members who volunteer to help operate the store.brAn implicit benefit of all the programs of PIC is the camaraderie andbrsense of community fostered when people come together to help eachbrother. This fights the social isolation that often occurs with older folksbrliving on their own—another fervent goal of the nonprofit. However,brPIC has recently developed a new social initiative called Member Carebrto address this goal more directly, providing older adults with socialbropportunities and visits, along with help in finding community resources.br2013 is a special year for Partners In Care, as the organization isbrcelebrating its 20th anniversary of making a difference in people’s lives. brConsidering the recent economic recession, this is a feat worthy ofbrcommemoration for a nonprofit such as PIC. Huston is deeply satisfiedbrwith the achievement: “This organization has not only survived, butbrhas thrived, continuing to provide important neighborly services tobrhundreds of older adults every month. On a personal level, it is extremelybrgratifying to see that an idea on paper conceived by the three foundersbrhas developed into a vibrant network of caring support.”
brbrHuston is looking forward to increasing awareness of the organization’sbrmission in the community in the future, as well, especially within anbraging population such as the United States’. She plans to make thisbrhappen through collaboration with several other groups focused onbrsupporting older adults, one being the national Coming of Age initiativebrat its new site in Maryland. This program will assist adults 50 and olderbrwith exploring options for their future, and train businesses and otherbrnonprofi ts that wish to hire more of the population from this age group.brBut fi rst, Partners In Care will be taking a much deserved night tobrcelebrate its accomplishments. On September 21st at the Chartwell, PICbrwill hold an anniversary dinner to mark 20 years and honor volunteers.brVisit www.partnersincare.org to learn more about the event andbrorganization.
—Karlie Frank
