Mary and Robert

Mary and her husband Robert bought a mobile home in 1978, and put it in on a small wooded lot on the Plateau. Robert retired, and then passed away, but Mary has continued to live in this home. Sammamish has grown around the property they bought so many years ago.

Mary first started Faith in Action just so she could occasionally get help with her yard work. Her vision has gotten worse and worse, though, as she has aged, and she can no longer drive. A neighbor was taking her shopping from time to time, but the neighbor has a new baby in the house, and ended this informal help. Her "sandwich" generation daughter, who lives in Shoreline, has her own kids and full-time job to attend to, and can only take off so much time to help her mom.

Like so many of our clients, Mary is caught between what she needs, and her sense of independence. Mary signed up for a match with a volunteer to take her shopping, but then reconsidered. She thought that maybe her daughter would be able to take her regularly. But then, after the first time they give it a try, the daughter, stressed out and under time pressure from other obligations, rushed her through the grocery store, and then something was forgotten from the shopping list. Mary felt guilty for asking her daughter to help yet again, and at the same time perplexed about how she was going to get back to the store to get the item she wanted - or cope without it.

So Mary called us.  She is so polite, and reluctant to put forth her request, I have to coax it out of her. Yes, she really does need help with shopping. "I hate to bother you again", she says. I tell her what I know to be true, from so many of the conversations I have with our volunteers - our volunteers genuinely really like helping the elderly, and we would have someone patient and specially trained to work with those with low vision. The thought that this is something someone would do for fun, rather than obligation, is reassuring.

Can you join me hoping for a friendship to develop between Mary and her new volunteer? It will really help Mary if knows that she's not being a burden, but a joy to someone else. And if you would like to donate funds for training this volunteer ($25 to screen, $50 to provide basic training, and $100 for full training for working with low-vision clients), please go to our website to donate on-line, or send a check to:

Faith in Action

1121 228th Ave SE,

Sammamish WA 98075

Hermina

Hermina's adult children moved to Sammamish, and moved Hermina with them. After all, she was in her late 80s, and they wanted her close by. They moved back to California a few years later, but it's easier to pick up and go when you're middle aged than when you're elderly. Hermina had made friends here and had settled in. Hermina decided to stay. Hermina's now 90. She's pretty independent, and uses her walker only for longer distances. She lives close enough to a shopping center that she can walk there, and relies on Faith in Action mostly for transportation to her medical appointments. When the Tulalip Tribe's charitable foundation, a long-time support of Faith in Action, wanted to make a video of our work, Hermina came to mind. It's not just that she lives not that far from our office, making it easier for the filming crew. She's a bright and verbal person - a good interviewee. Hermina was a nurse for many years, and keeping active throughout her life has kept her young. Hermina is someone, with just a little help from our volunteer corps, can continue to live in her own home. Faith in Action makes the difference in keeping her living independently. And I hope we can get a copy of the video from the Tulalips, and put it up on our website, so you can see it too.

Expanding our services to Carnation and Fall City

We've just started expanding our services to Carnation and Fall City.

One of our new clients from this area is going blind from macular degeneration. She has COPD and is on oxygen. She is also very hard of hearing.

She gets help from her family for tasks like shopping and transportation. But she is very isolated while they are at work and school. She tried getting a ride to the local senior center, but her hearing loss made it difficult for her. She needs someone to visit with her one-on-one, in a quieter environment, and where she can see, as best as she can, the person speaking to her.

We've just started to approach the local congregations to try to find her visitor. Sometimes, all an elderly and disabled person needs is a friend.

Your support makes finding these friends possible - thank you!

Ellie

Ellie lives in what many would consider to be a nice neighborhood, so her neighbors might not realize that she her income is below the “Very Low” standard according to the federal government.  She could even be a neighbor of yours, if you live in our service area.

Ellie is in her late 80s. She has severe osteoporosis – the last time she broke bones, it was from simply turning around and leaning the wrong way. Her bones are so fragile, she is nearly imprisoned in her house. She can not make routine trips in a car. The risk of injury is too great.  Instead, she makes a shopping list for her regular assigned Faith in Action volunteer, who goes to the grocery store and the drugstore for her on a regular basis.  Faith in Action volunteers will take her in a car to get to medical appointments, but they are alerted ahead of time that she moves very slowly, carefully, and deliberately, so lots of time can be allotted to getting Ellie in and out of the car and to and from the doctor’s office.

Severe osteoporosis eventually may completely cripple. Sufferers can’t open and close drawers, can’t carry anything (even a paperback book), can break a finger turning on and off a button on a remote control. Ellie may not be able to live on her own in her home for the entirety of the rest of her life, but for now, she is able to maintain her dignity and independence, thanks to her Faith in Action volunteers.

Your support means Ellie continues to have volunteers to help her - thank you!