Page 1 - Sentinel May 2018
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The Perry Park










                                                    Sentinel









                                                                                         MAY 2018



        VOLUNTEER TO HELP A NEIGHBOR




        The Neighbor Network is a non-profit organization which     and when getting into town was easier may now need
        supports senior citizens’ desires to remain independent as   help because of age-related weaknesses, particularly vi-
        long as possible.  The director, Karie Erickson, lives in   sion or coordination problems.   But age shouldn’t mean
        Perry Park and there are several volunteers in the area, but   people who love living here can’t—if they have some
        I recently became aware of a need for MORE volunteers,     help. Some of us haven’t lived in a town in 40 years!  We
        particularly those willing to drive a local senior citizen   don’t want to move!
        into Castle Rock to the doctor or grocery shopping.
                                                                   Years ago, I overheard a woman in tears at the local driv-
        In recent months I’ve gotten “emergency” calls from the    ers’ license site.  She had just failed her vision test, but
        office in Castle Rock. One of our neighbors wasn’t feel-    she desperately needed to drive to get her husband to
        ing well—she needed someone to help her get to town to     the doctor. I didn’t help her then, but through Neigh-
        a doctor.  I had another commit-                                               bor Network, people like her can
        ment. That has happened several                                                get help. Now, if you’re driving a
        times. We need more backup.  If                                                bunch of kids around, obviously
        there were more Neighbor Net-                                                  this would not be a good fit!  But
        work volunteers in the Larkspur                                                if  you’re  in  your  mid-years  and
        area, it would help, particularly                                              the kids have their own wheels, a
        in emergencies.                                                                possibility?

        It’s not an onerous “job.”  Ex-                                                I am a volunteer for purely selfish
        cept in emergencies, no one will                                               reasons—I’m  paying  it  forward
        call  you.  You  make  your  own                                               in  advance  because  in  not  too
        commitments to drive by check-                                                 many years I may not be able to
        ing a “shopping list” of people                                                drive because I am well into my
        who have various appointments                                                  senior years.   Or I may fall and
        scheduled and need help getting                                                break  my  right  ankle  tomorrow
        there.  Frequently  the  need  is                                              and need help on a temporary ba-
        for only a one-way ride.  Pick your own time and activ-    sis. I’d like to be able to count on Neighbor Network
        ity. There is no minimum amount of time required—give      volunteers to get me to the grocery store until my cast
        what time you can.  Many of the Neighbor Network cli-      came off!
        ents live in Castle Rock, but increasingly we have seniors
        in the Larkspur area who need help—thus the need for       Think about it.  Get on the list of resources.  Go to  https://
        more Larkspur people who have done the training (easy--    www.dcneighbornetwork.org/.             ~KDale
        on the computer!) and are in the Neighbor Network.


        Many people who moved here when they were younger
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