“There used to be a time when there was always someone at home whose identity was caregiver. That doesn’t exist anymore,” said Beverly Emmons of Fort Greene. “The caregiver is out there earning money to support a family. And now there’s nobody at home to give care.”
Emmons, 71, is referring to care for the elderly– the silent, often forgotten needs of the elderly.
Five years ago, Emmons began holding meetings with some of her neighbors around developing a one-stop, trusted resource of referrals and information that would provide a little hand-up for the aging population of Fort Greene/Clinton Hill.
Eventually, she connected with the Village-to-Village network, a capacity building organization that helped Emmons and her group start “The Good Neighbor Project,” or what she affectionately refers to as “The Geezer Project.”
The Good Neighbor Project is a non-profit, membership-based organization with the goal of helping the aging population of Fort Greene/Clinton Hill remain independent enough to stay in their own homes without the fear of being pushed out because of financial or social dependency.
“It’s to keep seniors in the loop,” said Emmons, who is retired but still works occasionally as a theatrical lighting designer. “After retirement, many seniors still have a lot of energy and value to the community. But we haven’t figured out how to harness it economically speaking. We have to figure out how to do that.
Full article at: http://www.bkreader.com/2014/12/like-a-good-neighbor-an-intergenerational-org-in-brooklyn-fights-to-make-sure-its-seniors-stay-put/