Celebrating a Season of Thankfulness

November and Thanksgiving: a time for reflection of the many blessings in our lives. At People Who Care, our blessings are the amazing volunteers and donors who make it possible to help our neighbors throughout the year. Who are our neighbors? They are people throughout the Quad Cities who can no longer drive because of age, vision or disability, and need a little extra support to stay independent in their homes.

Our volunteers accompany our neighbors to medical appointments and grocery stores, using their own vehicles to provide the necessary transportation and remaining with the neighbors until they are safely home. Volunteers also deliver groceries, help with technology and personal paperwork, and provide friendly visits for people who are often isolated in their homes. In addition, we have volunteers in the office who spend countless hours scheduling and coordinating these services. Last year, our volunteers gave an amazing 16,000 hours of their time to help our neighbors. Here are just a few of the thank-you notes that grateful neighbors have sent us about our volunteers:

 “I know about loneliness. My wife died of cancer last year and I have been abandoned by my family. I am so thankful that I found you and all of your wonderful, caring volunteers. Every day that they are in my life is a beautiful one.”

“Your kindness means more to me than I can express. Without your help, there’s no way I could continue to receive the medical help I need. Meeting your wonderful volunteers has so enriched my life. I am forever grateful.

“My thanks once again for the ride to my medical appointment today. You have such pleasant volunteers to do these much-needed tasks for all of us seniors. You must be very proud of the quality of your volunteers.”

At People Who Care, we are also very grateful that we can provide these services at no cost to our neighbors, because of our volunteers and our very generous donors. More than 25% of our expenses are covered by the generosity of individuals throughout our community. As we head toward the end of the year, we hope you will remember People Who Care and our neighbors as you think about your end-of-year giving. If you are over the age of 72½, you might also consider giving to People Who Care as part of your IRA Required Minimum Distribution. The distribution can be transferred directly to People Who Care and that amount does not count as taxable income. For more information about volunteering or donating to People Who Care, visit www.PeopleWhoCareAZ.org.

We at People Who Care wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! QCBN

By Bev Thurber

Bev Thurber is president of the People Who Care Board of Directors. She has served more than 20 years as executive director and board member for several non-profits in the Fort Collins, Colorado area. Thurber and her family have lived in the Prescott area since 2020.

To find out more or to Volunteer for People Who Care, visit www.peoplewhocareaz.com.