We Are Family Senior Outreach Network Inc

No family or community could exist without the generations who came before. Yet when our seniors face challenges, they too often do so alone. Seniors can be forgotten, lost in the shuffle.  The gap between rich and poor is immense.  Drugs and violence haunt our streets. Neighbors often keep to themselves. The families of seniors may no longer live nearby, or can be overwhelmed with their own challenges. Some simply may not care.

Many of our elders also slip through the cracks of our shredded social safety net. When services exist, those who need them the most often won’t be aware of them. It also can be hard to know how to take advantage of such help. For services to matter, a bridge must exist between the available resources and those persons in need. We Are Family builds that bridge—a bridge between people.

We Are Family is an outreach and advocacy network started by seniors and their friends. We don’t wait for problems to come to us; we go out into the North Capitol, Columbia Heights, Petworth, Shaw, and Adams-Morgan areas to visit the elderly in their own homes. We bring support, advice, and a kind ear to those who may feel overwhelmed or lonely.

 

We are not simply a social service agency, but a network of caring eyes and ears, a friend to ensure that no senior is forgotten or exploited. We earn our seniors’ trust by helping wherever we can.  If we can’t help, we will find out who can. Among other things, the “We Are Family” network provides:

• Advocacy with landlords and government agencies
• Free monthly grocery delivery
• Friendly visits in the senior’s home
• Regular telephone reassurance
• Emergency cleaning assistance
• Transportation to stores or appointments
• Referrals to other agencies or services

Donations are encouraged, as all of our services are provided at no cost to the seniors we work with.

We don’t believe that seniors are simply in need of help, either.  Many of our founders and most important volunteers are seniors, living in the community they helped to build.  They know best what needs to be done, and how to do it.  We depend on their guidance, and work hard to maintain their trust.

Currently with only two paid staff, we mobilize a diverse group of volunteers to meet needs, to provide companionship, and work with seniors to defend their homes and human rights.  We seek to build community, nourishing friendships across boundaries like race, age, class, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation.

We Are Family believes in the power of people, that we are each other’s keeper.  Despite our differences, we are family.  Together, we have the strength to create a community -- and world -- where everyone matters, where there is a place for all, where no one is forgotten, where every person is lifted up towards their best possibilities.   Help us to build this dream!

 

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