President’s Letter:

Growing our Services to Better Serve our Community

You may have noticed a few changes at Fearrington Cares. We have always been an organization of neighbors helping neighbors. We work together to bring important services to our community. Each of you is a part of that. You volunteer your time and talents, you use our services, and you provide financial support through your generous donations.
Over the past year or more, our services have evolved and grown to meet community needs. Here are a few statistics:
Volunteers: nearly 300
Committees and task forces: 16 (50+ members)
During the first 9 months of this year we provided you with
241 rides
126 home repairs
100 loans of medical equipment
432 blood pressure readings
719 nursing services
21 educational programs with 821 attendees
Add to this list our numerous support groups and referral services. Fearrington Friends are reaching out to help their neighbors with a variety of personal services. Our new computer support group is already at work helping neighbors with equipment and usage issues. And, of course, everything we provide is free of charge.
As our services have grown, we have found that we have reached a point where we need to seek professional management support. We do this after much consideration, with the advice of professional consultants, and with financial support from outside our community. Even with hundreds of volunteers, we find we cannot continue to sustain the level of service we have been providing without professional help. Our Board members have worked tirelessly and it is unreasonable to ask them and other volunteers to do even more.

Here are some of the details:

Grant from the Arthur Carlsen Charitable Fund of the Triangle Community Foundation

Arthur and Alice Lee Carlsen were long-time Fearrington residents. This fund was created to provide support for Fearrington Cares and other Chatham County charities. The Fund has just given us a three-year grant solely for the purpose of establishing a part-time Executive Director position. We are grateful to them. The Executive Director will be responsible for day-to-day management and will coordinate all programs and activities.
While a professional Executive Director will help us to serve the community more efficiently and effectively, it will not change the nature of our organization. We are a community that helps itself. We will continue to rely on you to support us in all of the ways that you have been there for Fearrington Cares in the past.

Support from Fitch Creations for Building Renovation and Landscaping

We would like to thank Fitch Creations for underwriting the cost of design and labor for our much-needed building renovation. The internal reconfiguration will create new office space, additional meeting space, and room to house our growing array of medical support equipment. In addition, Fitch has also just provided new landscaping.
With gratitude,
Linda Stryker-Luftig; President, Fearrington Cares

Galloway Ridge and Fearrington Cares:

Partners in Caring
We are pleased to announce an exciting new joint-project involving Fearrington Cares and our neighbor Galloway Ridge at Fearrington, entitled “Partners in Caring.” Galloway Ridge and Fearrington Cares have mutually agreed on this joint venture to better the lives of Fearrington Village residents. Galloway Ridge will be the “preferred provider” when a resident requests a referral for certain services. The Fearrington Cares Board has voted in favor of doing this. We want to assure our community that this will not impact the services currently being provided by Fearrington Cares. Residents would deal directly with Galloway Ridge to arrange for their services and pay for them on a fee-for-service basis. Fearrington Cares will continue to provide its services free of charge. Community-based services would include nutritional support, nursing services, and supportive living services. Here are the plans:

Nutritional Support:

Similar to Meals on Wheels, nutritionally balanced lunch and dinner options could be purchased and delivered to your door.

Nursing Services:

In-home professional nursing services would be available to those who need longer-term nursing support. The Fearrington Cares nurse, Joyce Baird, will continue to provide her regular services to our community upon request.

Supportive Living Services:

Personal care, companionship, and homemaker assistance programs would provide “hands-on” help with everyday living needs from personal care to medication reminders to assisting with pet care and much more. These services would supplement our Fearrington Friends program.
The Partners in Caring program is slated to begin early in the New Year. Much more information will be coming your way in the near future. Look for an informational meeting in January, updates in the FHA newsletter, and e-mails from E-Cares. While Galloway Ridge would be a preferred provider, Fearrington Cares maintains lists of other vendors that provide similar services. For more information, give us a call at 542-6877 or visit our website at www.fearringtoncares.org.
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Educational Programs at the Gathering Place

Free Course on Living with Chronic Illness

“Healthy Living” a course to help persons who are dealing with a chronic illness live better and self-manage their conditions will be offered on 6 consecutive Tues. afternoons 1:30–4pm. beginning Jan. 19, 2010, at the Gathering Place. This free course is provided by Fearrington Cares in partnership with Triangle J Area Agency on Aging and the Chatham County Council on Aging.
Co-leaders are Jane Armstrong, MSW, and Judith Barrett, MD, professionals trained in using evidence-based information developed through Stanford University. Topics will include techniques to deal with frustration, fatigue, pain, and isolation; appropriate use of medications; nutrition and exercise; effective communication; and making informed choices.
For more information and to register, e-mail Jane at jarmstrong@tjcog.org or call 558-9341 by Jan. 15. The class number is limited. Those dealing with chronic conditions as well as those close to them are invited.

December Grandparenting Talk

Can you survive the holidays with grandchildren? Dr. Frances Campbell, senior scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC, will share ideas at the Gathering Place on Tues., Dec. 8, at 2:00pm. Dr. Campbell is a research psychologist and grandmother of four.

Other Opportunities

Are You Looking for Companionship?

Many Fearrington residents have expressed a desire for a daily phone call or a regular visit. We have heard you and can respond by matching you with another Fearrington resident called a Fearrington Friend. If you would like a phone call from a familiar Friend or a weekly visit just to chat or assist you with some home details, call 542-6877 and we will connect you with a Friend!
If you want to become a Friend call Fearrington Cares at 542-6877. We welcome both men and women!

Are You a Caregiver (Local or Otherwise)
for an Aging Parent?

Fearrington Cares is exploring a new Caregiver’s group to complement our current offerings. This group will focus on the role and issues of “general” caregiving. Included are caregivers with a spouse or child with a chronic health condition or illness and adult caregivers of aging or ill parents. If you have an interest in joining a group and supporting one another in the role of caregiving, please contact Joyce Baird at 542-6877. We hope to get this group established in early 2010.