Nancy Cooke has been a friend of mine for as long as I can remember. I met her through a colleague when I was a new teacher and we immediately connected. Although we never worked together, she helped me so much in those early years and she shaped the teacher I became. We became friends, too, and have shared so many good belly laughs! Anyone who knows Nancy has probably shared a few of those.

Nancy spent 35 years teaching kindergarten and 1st grade students learn to read and write and has even written her own teaching resource book. She still stays in touch with MANY of her former colleagues and students, a testament to her effect on people and her loving spirit. After all the help she has given others, it is time to ask for help for her.

Nancy has had some recent medical issues and has been in and out of the hospital, skilled nursing rehabs, and PARAMOUNT, an assisted living facility. She really loved the latter but can no longer afford the steep monthly charge. She was discharged from her last 5 day hospital stay on Sunday February 1st. That same day, her children, Quinn and Susan, moved her back into her own home with her precious pup, Romeo. This is where she needs some help. Nancy currently has a chair lift to help with getting up and down the stairs in her townhouse as she now uses a rollator or wheelchair at all times due to her balance issues. Her son Quinn has been her main caregiver for the past 6 years and her daughter Susan lives nearby and is always on call. Both of them have helped her tremendously and will continue to serve her. In order to help keep Nancy in her own home and safe, some renovations need to be done to her townhome.

Susan and Quinn would like to add modifications such as additional handrails throughout the house, a ramp at the front door and at the rear curb, bathroom upgrades, and flooring that won't catch the wheels on her rollator. She will also need a gently used car that she can get in and out of comfortably. These additions would bring her home closer to code for ADA modifications and most importantly, help keep Nancy safe.

If you can help with even a small donation, it would mean so much to Quinn and Susan. This will be an ongoing set of projects to purchase and install the implements in her home, so we expect the fundraiser to go on for several months. Thank you so much for your consideration. As Nancy would say, "Are you believing in it??"