CANOPY OF NEIGHBORS INC
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Mission Statement
Canopy of Neighbors creates new pathways to aging well and aging independently in community.
About This Cause
Adults 65 & over will soon represent 20% of US population. According to the US Census Bureau's 2017 American Community Survey, Buffalo is the 4th oldest in terms of average age of city’s population of 53 major metro areas. We are located in the urban center of Buffalo, NY and are one of 350+ "villages" working in communities to assist seniors who want and need to age in place with the help of volunteer support. By far, the preferred choice is to age in community as it is the most affordable and available option with many individuals relying upon family to support them in home. This has been harder since the 2015 National Alliance for Caregiving & AARP study- Caregiving in the US reports that more than half of employed caregivers work full-time (56%). They also report that almost 70% of caregivers report work-related issues due to caregiving responsibilities which places a tremendous burden upon the family. We relieve burdens of the family caregiver through a network of volunteers who provide essential daily support through transportation for medical & personal needs and daily/weekly well visits/calls. Beyond this support, social isolation is addressed with programming such as Mindfulness classes, lectures by noted professionals on health directives, memory retention, fall prevention and more. Programs empower our members, give family caregivers respite and help them build a support plan. We serve Buffalo, NY residents, 62 & over, some of whom are dependent upon caregivers/family to provide transportation, companionship, socialization & help that enables them to age in place. Increasingly, however, demographics show the family caregiver is unavailable or doesn’t exist. Our membership is urban, socially, economically and ethnically diverse with the majority of our members being on fixed/low incomes. As a result, we must offer accessible membership rates and subsidized memberships for those who are unable to pay full rate. Therefore, we rely on funding to underwrite our general operating and programs. We apply for grants, rely on individual and corporate donors and have a modes membership fee of $120/year for low income members. $10/month provides unlimited social programming, transportation and volunteer help. We can not survive on those fees alone. We also educate the family caregiver, help them build crucial support networks and provide respite care while providing programming for the member who needs peer support beyond the family. Most importantly, changing demographics prove that the increasing larger senior population has the lowest numbers of family caregiving support in history. The onus is upon us to build a support network of non-traditional caregivers who can fill these gaps in a grass root, direct impact fashion. It is a natural way to build and keep strong communities who can help each other in critical times.