Neighbor to Neighbor
Location
Neighbor to Neighbor is a volunteer based program that benefits vulnerable populations by providing services that allow them to maintain their dignity, independence and quality of life. Our program enables people to remain in their own homes and connected to each other, their volunteer and the community. Companionship and assistance is offered in the context of a personal relationship.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Kate
Last Name
Coss
Website URL
Organization
Neighbor to Neighbor
Country
United States, VT
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
Neighbor to Neighbor
Organization Website
Organization Phone
802 367-7787
Organization Address
5138 Main Street, Manchester VT 05255
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, VT
Your idea
Name Your Project
Neighbor to Neighbor
Country and state your work focuses on
United States, VT
Describe Your Idea
Neighbor to Neighbor is a volunteer based program that benefits vulnerable populations by providing services that allow them to maintain their dignity, independence and quality of life. Our program enables people to remain in their own homes and connected to each other, their volunteer and the community. Companionship and assistance is offered in the context of a personal relationship.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
19 percent of the residents in Bennington County are over the age of 65. There is a great need in our community for in-home assistance with daily activities and chores.There is also a strong need for caregiver respite, transportation to medical and social services, as well as interaction and caring. Lack of assistance and isolation often leads to depression and poor quality of life. Residents have to travel the length of the county to access most services, including hospitals and specialists. There is virtually no public transportation and no senior center. We have recruited and trained 80 volunteers that provide home-based care-giving services that are geared to building relationships and maintaining independence as long as possible, as well as social events that keep people connected to each other, their volunteer and the community. All volunteers received orientation and training. Background checks are made before accepting a volunteer. Written guidelines, job descriptions and program policy statements are followed. Reports, forms, client information are all confidentially kept in the Program Director's office. The Program Director visits each individual as they are referred to the program , asses the needs, and assigns a volunteer or team of volunteers depending on the needs and the skills of the volunteer. All services are provided free of charge.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
The success of this program is determined by the increased number of requests for rides to the doctor and other transportation needs, grocery shopping, friendly visits, errands and other services as well as the growing number of people attending our social programs. We also keep careful records of attendance and survey responses. With no public transportation or gathering place for our seniors the overall satisfaction by the community reinforces how vital this program is. The services we offer benefits the community as a whole; families, social service agencies and certainly the volunteers themselves as well as those we help. The inter-generational programming promotes volunteerism among our youngest residents. We are building a close-knit community where more members take responsibility for one another creating a healthier population with an improved sense of well being. In addition, our presence helps caregiver families experience less stress and gives families living out of the area a sense of comfort knowing we are available to help their loved one when needed.
Problem
The lack of a community/senior center and no public transportation system continues to be a problem. We are consistently recruiting volunteers to drive. Currently volunteers donate their time and mileage. We also lack a reimbursement fund for long distance drives to Dartmouth,Albany or beyond.
Actions
We have an active Steering Committee that participates in an annual appeal and fund-raising events.To keep our supporters informed, we publish a quarterly newsletter, mail it to community members and make it available throughout our service area to promote our program.We have a web site, we do community presentations and we have petitioned towns and receive their support. We apply for grants from foundations. We assist volunteers with training, staff support and liability insurance. Currently we have 80 trained volunteers that have given over 16,000 hours since the program began five years ago.
Results
The program addresses the non institutionalized members of the community who have long or short term health care needs or disabilities allowing them to maintain their independence for as long as possible by providing assistance with daily activities instrumental to independent living. By having a core of screened volunteers who can be called upon to provide transportation to doctors, dentists, grocery shopping, etc. we not only help those in our program, we also provide relief to the families. In addition to services, our objective is to establish relationships that reduce isolation, depression and poor quality of life. We provide social events, we collaborate with other social service agencies and do inter generational programming with local schools encouraging students to "adopt a senior for the afternoon." Our community has no social gathering place and no transportation program, the social events we provide have been extremely beneficial to those we serve further insuring they remain connected to the community. All of our volunteers receive a background check and training and our local congregations and coalition partners provide a place for us to meet.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
We are completing a five year strategic plan. We receive some town funding and plan to petition additional towns we serve in the future. We seek to have our programming underwritten whenever possible. Our success to date has encouraged us to continue aggressive fund-raising campaigns, grant applications and soliciting donations from local business. We plan to create endowment funds and improve management of our savings. In the future clients able to afford services will be given information on ways to donate. We have a quarterly newsletter. a DVD presentation and a active website. We will continue community presentations and submit regular PR to our local papers.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Many organizations are competing for the same funds. If we were a stand alone organization sustainability could be difficult; however; we have partnerships with many organizations in our area including Dorset Nursing, Manchester health, Northshire Medical, Council on Aging, The Catamount Partnership for Community Health and others. We are also fortunate that our office space and related expenses are donated. If we needed to find a space of our own (we have been assured the space we have is ours as long as needed) we would have to restructure our finances to accommodate expenses. The inability to recruit volunteers could be a potential problem; however recruitment is ongoing and our volunteers remain dedicated to the program.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Northshire Interfaith Council
How long has this organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
No
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Our coalition partners are: Northshire Medical Center, Southwestern Vermont health Care, Dorset Nursing, Manchester Health Services, Bennington Rutland Opportunity Council, United Counseling Services, Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging, Catamount Partnership for Community Health as well as all of our local congregations. The individual congregations allow us to recruit volunteers, announce fund-raising events and use space for social programs. We attend monthly meetings with health organizations; they refer clients to us and keep us undated on pertinent workshops. We also refer our clients to partner health organizations when the need arises.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
We are a community with an unusually high number of elderly and a remarkable increase in their numbers is being projected. The original focus of the program addresses the problems of those in the community who have long-term health care needs or disabilities, allowing them to maintain their independence for as long as possible by providing non-medical assistance with daily activities thus reducing isolation, depression and poor quality of life.
Because our care recipients are so severely isolated, we have discovered that social events help eliminate the loneliness and add to the sense of well-being of our care recipients. We have come to realize providing social and community contacts for our care recipients is an important part of carrying out our mission.
We must address the need for a senior Center, Community Center,Gathering Place.)
We continue to develop sustainable sources of funding.
Increased inter-generational programing to promote volunteerism among our youth.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The “Neighbor to Neighbor” program, was established to address a vital need in our community. In 2003 the Northshire Interfaith Council, composed of six local congregations, was approached by the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging to address the unmet needs of the elderly and disabled in our neighborhoods. We serve 11 towns in the Bennington County Northshire and the fringes of Rutland County.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
In May 2004 the Northshire Interfaith Council, together with its nine coalition partners, obtained a start-up grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to initiate the Neighbor to Neighbor program. Launched in September 2004 our mission has been to enlist and train long-term volunteers to establish relationships with individuals (care recipients) in order to maintain their independence in the home and ensure they remain connected to the community. These care recipients are often isolated, by virtue of serious health issues and chronic illnesses or disabilities, so the volunteers provide them with much needed personal interaction, transportation and non-medical assistance with daily activities. Although we coordinate our efforts with several agencies, we are unique in that we offer companionship and assistance in the context of a personal relationship. Each care recipient has his/her own long term volunteer. In a little over five years our volunteers have given over 16,000 hours of their time assisting others.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Friend or family member
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
One of our local volunteers Barbara Howland
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