Angels in the neighborhood

Neighborhood Angels seeking more calls to serve

SUN CITY – The Neighborhood Angels have a clear mission: help or find help for seniors in Sun City, regardless of their type of need.

They have two leaders – Kathy Ryan and Judy Abrams – who are committed to sharing their time and resources to make that goal a reality.

They have a team of about eight volunteers that can handle a wide variety of services to accommodate seniors with any number of needs.

All they need now are some more phone calls.

“We have a lot of volunteers; we don’t have enough people to serve,” Ryan explained.

Ryan is eager to help her Sun City neighbors but said the Angels have yet to receive as many calls as they’d like. She attributes this to several factors, the first being that the new group must spend more time getting the word out about their services.

Originally started as the Neighborhood 17 Angels in June, the group has since ex¬panded and now offers help to all residents in Sun City. Ryan said many may feel hesitant to ask for help, however.

“I think people hate to ask and be a burden,” she said. “They think they’re a burden and they’re not.”

At times, seniors may also feel as if they are the only ones in need, a thought, Ryan calls, a big misconception. Another is that Neighborhood Angels can’t help with a certain type of need. The organization has volunteers with experience and a willingness to help with everything from transportation to socialization to helping ex¬plain insurance statements.

New volunteers are given a guidebook explaining the Angels’ mission and protocol when helping seniors. When assigned to a senior, the volunteer will speak with or meet them before they administer help.

“[The seniors] know who’s coming over ahead of time; they don’t feel like this stranger’s knocking on the door,” Ryan said.

If a senior’s need is something the volunteers cannot cover, other organizations may be able to. Neighborhood An¬gels can help connect Sun Citians with such organizations.

“Judy [Abrams] is a great information guru; she is great at going online and finding all of this stuff and getting phone numbers and contacting places around here and finding out different things that are avail¬able for people,” Ryan said.

With Grafton Township set to end bus service for Rut¬land Township residents on Nov. 30, Ryan’s phone may soon be ringing more. She said Neighborhood Angels can help cover some of that need and has volunteers able to help residents safely enter stores in rough winter weather.

“I think there will be a big spike in need and we have volunteers that are willing to help,” Ryan said.

For those seniors who would like to make their case on township issues, Ryan said she or other Angels can provide rides to township meetings so long as they have a day or two of notice. Advocacy for seniors is one area Neighborhood Angels has yet to expand into, but Ryan is considering it.

On the bus ride issue, Ryan expressed a desire for Sun City to consider providing its own transportation for residents, at least offering rides within the community. It’s something Ryan said she would have focused on had she been elected to the Sun City Community Association Board this October. Ryan came in third place with 937 votes.

Ryan, whose career included owning a newspaper-advertising sales-development consulting business for 25 years, has worked as a caretaker and volunteers with children through Willow Creek Community Church’s Promiseland program.

“I’m going to get to the age at some point we’re I’m going to need help, and I hope that someone will step in and help me, so I’m looking to help people while I physically can,” she said.

Neighborhood Angels
• For assistance or service, call Judy Abrams: 847-669-3760 or Kathy Ryan: 847-630-9345

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