Darlene needs our help

If you’re reading this, chances are you know and love Darlene. Maybe you admire her ethos of self-reliance and her DIY sensibilities, like we do. Maybe you love her individual pioneer/hippie spirit and her commitment to peace, her love and support of her family, and her lifelong contributions to our community through Eugene Friends Meeting, Oregon Country Fair, Hoedads, and beyond.

Darlene needs our help. Like so many older people, she faces the challenges of a medical/insurance system that does not fully cover the costs of older people’s needs. We are friends who have organized to help cover the costs of essential medical needs.

Your donation will help pay for the hearing aids her audiologists have been strongly recommending, as well as fittings and service that ensures she can continue to remain fully connected to her family, friends, and community. Our contributions to cover the cost of Physical Therapy helps ensure her knee replacement heals and strengthens so she can continue to enjoy mobility and engage in activities that are vital to her overall health such as a passion for water exercises and time in nature.

While many in Darlene’s circles have been fortunate to work with her on shared passion projects where her dedication and drive are evident, this is more. Even at her age, others are dependent on her. She is a bedrock foundation providing love, support, being the uber driver, providing love, support and stability for her family.

This fundraiser is organized by Penny, Liz, Jessica and Alan, and we thank you for supporting our friend Darlene. As a final thought, though none of us in this group are spring chickens, Liz, Jessica, and myself (Alan) are in our forties. We have all learned so much about the dramatic impact hearing loss and hearing degradation can have on our older friends socially, emotionally, and physically. We have also learned about the many dead ends and limited options there are when someone tries to secure funding for this. What a profound shame and injustice to our aging community members when devices that could dramatically improve their lives are so challenging to access. Please - we implore you - join us in taking action to sustain and improve Darlene’s life.