A year ago, as we anticipated what 2021 would bring, we were able to use our bus each evening to take community members to view all the houses decorated for the holidays. Holiday Light Show was a spectacular event for all ages.
Our long-term vision has always been to have a retirement/care facility on the Point. We created a survey early in 2021 to learn what our community wanted and needed in the short-term and long-term.
With over 95 respondents (mostly over 60 years old), the majority felt that a retirement/care facility would be a good addition to the Point. Thank you, participants. We are working on next steps.
In 2020, the Helen and Jose Colton Foundation gave us $5,000 toward educating ourselves and the community in such matters as caring for dementia/Alzheimer’s friends and family members, preparing advance directives, identifying and supporting our citizens in need of Life Lines and Northwest Airlift Insurance for households.
We held six sessions of advance directive workshops with 19 participants, with more planned for 2022. This fall, we held a campaign to enroll households in a group offering of Northwest Airlift insurance at a discount and we offered to supplement the cost for those in need. We hope to move forward with dementia care training courses in 2022.
We held a wonderful bake sale at the summer’s Village Fair. We took orders and prepared strawberry-rhubarb pies in July, blackberry pies in August and apple pies for Apple Harvest Festival in September. In total, we made over 200 pies this year!
This week, we fulfilled lots of holiday swag orders.
Our volunteer activities included taking clients to medical appointments, picking up prescriptions in Blaine and Bellingham, bringing clients home from Saint Joseph’s Hospital, visiting housebound residents, taking clients for drives/walks, caring for their animals, providing durable medical equipment/supplies and preparing meals. We prepared over 60 meals for our clients this year. Our cherished community volunteers have given over 1,157 hours of their time; and our board of trustees gave over 650 hours of their time to our community.
In the beginning of December, we trustees created a matching fund of up to $2,000 until the end of the year. As further incentive, the government allows 100 percent of donations to 501c3’s to be deducted. Even if you do not itemize on your taxes, you can deduct up to $300. This is a one-time opportunity to make your donation more impactful for the recipients and yourself. To donate, visit prcircleofcare.com or email prcircleofcare@gmail.com.
Regarding putting the bus in service, the border situation and difficulty scheduling appointments due to the pandemic have required patience. We are working on a schedule to begin in 2022.
On behalf of the board of trustees, I want to thank Annelle Norman, our executive director, for her expertise, coordinating acumen, care for our clients and our community in general.
She is an essential part of our team and we are grateful for her contribution to our mission.
– Galen Wood, President of the board
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