Dear Help At Your Door Community,
With appreciation for your support and the time I’ve spent serving older adults and people with disabilities in the Twin Cities metro, I am announcing my retirement from Help At Your Door’s Board of Directors.
As my term comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on my time with the organization. I first heard of Help At Your Door (then called Store to Door) in 2002, and I knew from my community how critical the nonprofit’s grocery phone ordering, shopping, and delivery service was for older adults – a way to access nutritious food and everyday household items from a trusted, local organization.
My mom was in her late eighties at the time and had the benefit of four adult children in the Twin Cities area. We shopped for her, so she had access to food and other essentials. Mom didn’t worry about how she could stay in her house because she had the support of her family to do so. But her fortunate situation is not the case for many older adults and people with disabilities.
Over the 20 years that I have been involved with Help At Your Door, I’ve seen how important the organization is for people who don’t have family, friends, or trusted neighbors who can help them get the essentials they need to continue living in their homes. Help At Your Door fills this role by offering affordable services that provide access to everyday needs.
From cleaning windows and vacuuming floors through their home support services to providing rides – whether that be to medical appointments, specialty stores, salons, and more – Help At Your Door passionately carries out its mission: to help older adults and people with disabilities maintain their independence and continue living in their homes.
Please know that my departure from the board is not an end to my relationship with Help At Your Door. You can still find me every Wednesday morning at Cub Foods – St. Anthony shopping and delivering groceries for several Help At Your Door clients. I do that with a great group of volunteers who have fun (yes, fun!) helping older adults age in place, at home.
Thank you for your support. I’m so honored to be part of the Help At Your Door Community.
Gratefully,
Tom Bailey
