Your gift keeps on giving! What if you were locked in your home and could only speak to 1
person for 5 minutes a day for the rest of your life? This is reality for most of Lorain County’s home
bound senior population. The only interactions these elderly have during the week are with their
senior home delivered meal drivers. The drivers bring life sustaining meals directly to the doorstep
as well as a friendly smile and well check to seniors who have no other support.
The willingness and ability to serve others comes with great rewards. Neighborhood Alliance offers many unique
opportunities to volunteer and get involved. Through the Next Step Ministries partnership in 2014, not only were
we able to bring groups of young people to the homes of lonely senior citizens for the summer, but we were also
able to introduce “Community Picnics” to neighborhoods surrounding Oak Wood Park in Lorain. Every Thursday
evening during the 10 week summer Senior Home Repair Program, the volunteers and Next Step summer staff
came together for fellowship, BBQ and activities in the park after their home renovation projects were completed for
the day. Each week the attendance of community members grew steadily as word spread.
The goal of these picnics is to rebuild the concept of neighbor. It is our hope that neighbors will look out for these lonely
elderly and bring back the meaning of neighborhood. Bringing them back to a time where neighbors look out for each other
and take pride in the rehabilitation of their community.
Senior Home Repair Program
provides volunteer groups to serve throughout a
10-week program as outreach to seniors whose homes are in need of repair.