So I’ve had this random shower thought (literally came to me in the shower) that I haven’t been able to let go of for the last week. Let me explain. My wife watches these YouTube videos where people, for various motivations, mow and clean up yards for free. The individuals that they help are often elderly and poor and often estranged or childless, thus not having assistance or being up to the task themselves physically or financially.
These folks often need more than just lawn maintenance, and they are not an overly uncommon demographic. Often, there is a need for someone to check up on them, socialize with them, advocate for them, and to generally help them. You know, they have a need for someone to simply care about them. It then occurred to me that we already have a charitable organization that does something similar, but for a different demographic; Big Brothers Big Sisters. There’s definitely a need for it and I could see the individual relationships being meaningful both ways. I tried imagining what an organization built on a similar model, but to assist the elderly, would look like.
What I couldn’t decide on is what to call the 20-40-year-old-ish folks who would be forming these bonds; honorary kids? Extra grandkids? Bonus spawn?? I also couldn’t see how you would go about executing such a thing. How would you identify the senior citizens in need and willing younger adults? How would you match them? What are the potential pitfalls? I keep picking at it, and I want to share it simply because I can’t stop obsessively turning it over in my head, but I really don’t know what to do with it either. I really need to be focusing on other more pressing projects anyway. Perhaps throwing it out there will do something, or at least let me mentally shelve it for now.
Feel free to share thoughts, additions, or general criticism.