We May Not Have it All Together, But...

...together we have it all!

The Got Your Back Neighbor Network is all about community building. Why? Because "social capital" may be more important than cash or credit when the going gets tough. Who survives and thrives best after a major weather disaster -flood, landslide, lightening strike, tornado, earthquake, hurricane, drought? People who have built good relationships with friends and family. That's the power of social capital.

Aging isn't a major disaster, it's a game of chutes and ladders. You're on level ground, then you fall down a chute, you climb a ladder to a new normal and go along smoothly until.... No one can manage aging entirely alone. And for those of us who aim to age in our own homes, there are these challenges as well: 10 Things to Know About Aging With Dignity and Independence.

Got Your Back Neighbors are who we turn to when we want to freely share our ups and downs, needs and offers, activity and restful moments with at least one trusted confidant. We've been to memorial services for (too) many High Vista elders recently. If you're like me, you found it comforting to know that each of them had our community of care surrounding them in their last days. And don't you feel it was an honor to be part of those generous efforts? And isn't it good to know we're all here for one another, with just a call for assistance? (You have to make that call, though.)

Last Friday I attended a local orientation to the WNC Initiative for Supportive Housing (WISH). This grant-funded UNC project aims to create change so that our communities better serve the needs of older adults, people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury, and physical disabilities. People who may be least able to ask for and find what they need. As an older adult, don't you sometimes feel invisible, easy to overlook or exclude? 

In our region, many partners are coordinating their expertise and resources to focus on the WISH of improving transportation and affordable housing options for vulnerable citizens. I have a positive impression and high hopes for results from WISH, because it's not aiming to reinvent the wheel. It's about streamlining and improving communication around systems to create social transformation through collective impact. Watch this very brief video to understand more.