As you probably know (because I talk about Northampton Neighbors a lot), I joined Northampton Neighbors almost at its beginning nearly 6 years ago because it's vitally important to me to be part of a community in which people care about and care for each other. Northampton Neighborsh is part of the national Village to Village Network and helps older adults create and maintain connection, independence, dignity, and joy as we all age -- and engage -- in place. We never imagined we'd grow so large so quickly, but we now have over 1,500 members, and we're still growing! We're really proud that NN volunteers provide free services (transportation for shopping, medical appointments, and social activities; flipping mattresses; walking dogs; tech assistance; and much more) and the organization as a whole creates many opportunities to work together on committees, participate in programs, and generally meet up for events and social gatherings. We're especially proud to have created strong, working relationships with several Northampton non-profits (and the UMass School of Public Health) that believe in and support us in many ways.
Here's the "why" of my request for you to consider donating to my fundraising effort. From the beginning we believed it was important to be fee free and open to all. We're lean, but we do have expenses. And with increased funding, we can do so much more.Your donation of any size (and I mean that! ANY size) would be greatly appreciated.
Should you want to know more, explore northamptonneighbors.org and doozydoo.org.
Northampton Neighbors' DoozyDo Parade
The DoozyDo Parade is a fun, whimsical, community-wide event hosted by Northampton Neighbors. Inspired by Pasadena's Doo-Dah Parade (begun in 1978) and originally intended as a fundraiser for Northampton Neighbors, it has become an intergenerational mixer, a challenge to misconceptions about older adults, an opportunity for collective effervescence, a celebration of community and a love letter to the City of Northampton. Join teams of friends, family and neighbors; bands and musical groups; local nonprofits; business sponsors; floats and vinatage cars; bagpipers and drummers; and our Grand-ish Marshals.
Our mission: To help each other maintain independence, dignity, and joy over time as we age—and engage—in place. Northampton Neighbors is free of charge and open to all, offering a range of social and volunteer opportunities, as well as services and support for members 55+ in Northampton, Florence, and Leeds.