The 2019 Annual Appeal

Help us make a difference

Lifespan has been around since 1981, providing many of the same services we provide today. While the community around us and the services available to older adults has changed tremendously, there are some things that are constant. We all seek acknowledgement, recognition, space to heal, an opportunity to learn, a chance to share what we know, and the knowledge that there is a community that is concerned about us.

I know the common wisdom is that people who are moving into the “older adult” category today aren’t interested in community. They want to travel, enjoy their freedom and be unencumbered from restrictive relationships and expectations. We also hear this about young people today. I call rubbish.

There is a new discussion out there about a concept called “community care.” This concept isn’t referring to the large, societal definition of community that feeds protests and social advocacy. Rather this concept refers to the small scale, interpersonal social networks and the ways we can provide support to people in that network at times when they cannot provide it for themselves. Those communities can be formal or informal, intentional or accidental, but they invoke a commitment to compassion and members are always leveraging the privilege of being there for each other in a variety of ways.

Community care doesn’t happen accidentally and you can’t suddenly decide that you need some so you better go out and find one to take care of you. Community care is built over time, with a conscious decision that you will be there for other people in your network when they need you – and an unconscious understanding that when you need care, that village or community will be there for you. You put care in the bank, the kind of bank that really holds what is dear to you and what you will need most desperately. To be seen, to be cherished and to be cared for when you cannot care for yourself. Make a contribution to the Lifespan community and bank some care. We all thank you.

Making a Gift in Honor or Memory

Many of you offer gifts in honor or memory of someone to important to you. If you make a gift in honor of someone, we appreciate your gift and we know that the person you honor will be grateful for your acknowledgement. If you make a gift in memory of someone, we appreciate the privilege of being part of the memory of someone important to you.

After you complete your donation payment, you will be redirected to a Donation Information Page. If you have made a general donation and do not wish to provide any more information, just close the page. If you have made a donation in honor or memory of someone, please complete the information so we can make the appropriate acknowledgements. Thank you again for your support.