In September a local church, Eastern Star Church and their Care Committee, and the Arlington Woods Neighborhood Association came together to help an elderly neighbor, Mr. Willie Parker. Originally from Macon, Georgia, Mr. Parker has lived in his Indianapolis home for the last 25 years. Built in 1946, the home does show its age and well-worn life. It’s this home that has seen his children grow up. It is this home that serves as Mr. Parker’s safe space where he can feel at peace and at home. Mr. Parker particularly enjoys the neighborhood’s abundant mature trees and fellow older homes.
Earlier in the summer, Mr. Parker realized his yard was getting out of hand. No longer able to do the work himself, he called 2-1-1 to see if help could be found. He was referred to NeighborLink Indianapolis and made the call. Soon after, Tom Miller, Director of Client Services, met with him and assessed the situation. Yard Clean up and gutter cleaning were scheduled for the fall and paired up with the local church and neighborhood association. What better way to link neighbors than with ones who are in close proximity to you?
“They did an excellent job!” Mr. Parker said. “I’m so impressed with how quickly they got my yard into shape.”
He had a great group of volunteers who took to their job with gusto. Another small repair was identified, fixing a hole near one of his windows. NeighborLink Indy staff pledged to take care of that once they got the proper materials to do so. Mr. Parker not only says he’d recommend NeighborLink Indianapolis to others in need, but he already introduced his next-door neighbor to the NeighborLink staff while they were at his home. Now she’s on their list to have work done too!
We love a good Neighbor-Link-up! We’re hoping to partner with more neighborhood organizations in 2022 to help neighbors just like Mr. Parker take on gutter cleaning and yard cleanups. If there’s a street in your neighborhood with seniors in need that would fit that project description, let us know! We’ll help you build your neighborhood group and partners and take on one street at a time.
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