Today we served at Seabury Age-In-Place, a non-profit that provides yard work and house cleaning to low and moderate income older adults, while also ensuring these individuals do not become isolated and lonely. Age-In-Place was founded when a group noticed that their older neighbors in the community were finding the physical and financial demands required to stay in their homes more and more challenging. This small group then rallied together and began going out to local seniors’ homes and serving where needed.
Our volunteer coordinator, Rachel, described the many ways in which senior citizens in particular can become susceptible to homelessness and cycles of brutal property as they age. For example, in D.C., home owners can receive fines of $500 if their grass extends above 10 inches. Many senior citizens cannot push a lawn mower themselves to ensure their lawns remain below this regulated benchmark. A $500 fine could be what forces someone out of their home. This fine is just one example of how vulnerable senior citizens with low to moderate incomes are to homelessness.
Our group assisted a woman named Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones had lived in the home we cleaned for nearly all her life. As a senior in her mid-80s now living alone, Ms. Jones and community members like her, are those disproportionately impacted by poverty. It’s vital for these individuals’ livelihood to have reliable support from organizations such as Age-In-Place. It was humbling to learn more about this organization in particular and inspiring to hear the relationships they have built with their clients over the years, supporting and caring for them every step of the way.
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