How to Apply: Aging Funds Available at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
AAGG and Greenleaf Granting Group clerks sat down Aging Support Coordinator, Sheila Sorkin, and Director of Grantmaking and Data, Joey Leroux to discuss the application process for funds to support Friends in need of financial assistance with their basic needs or to make it possible to live in retirement facilities, or to remain in their own homes.
More information about how to apply, including eligibility details, deadlines, and applications can be found on the Aging Assistance and Greenleaf web pages.
Please send queries to Sheila Sorkin at ssorkin@pym.org or Joey Leroux at grants@pym.org.
A Thank You from the Tyson Family
Dear Ms. Sorkin:
I am writing you today to express my gratitude to you and the rest of the Greenleaf Granting Group for the unwavering financial assistance that you and the Aging Assistance Granting Group have provided to my mother Toy Tyson.
As you know, even after leading a simple and very frugal life Toy’s finances have been diminished during these later years of her life. On top of that, this past summer Toy suffered a fall which resulted in a fractured right hip and femur. She immediately underwent surgery and a very painful recovery process. Upon leaving the hospital she was transferred to United Methodist Communities at Pitman where she underwent rehabilitation. She was then transferred back to the Assisted Living facility and Friends Village in Woodstown; first to a small room on the second floor and later to her final and current location in a small apartment on the first floor. Through the process, Toy underwent major surgery and four major moves; all of which has been very painful and stressful for her. She is now in Assisted Living, and we believe that Toy will need Assisted Living level of care at a minimum for the remainder of her life.
With all of that said, it brings me great joy to report to you Toy’s physical and mental health continues to improve every day. With assistance, she is able to stand and walk (with a walker) short distances in the facility, and she moves quite freely in a wheelchair. She regularly participates in facility activities which are appropriate for her condition. While she does get down from time to time, as most of us would, overall her spirit remains surprisingly positive. And each day she takes joy in things that most of us would not notice. For example, today I visited with Toy, and during the visit we took a wheelchair stroll outside on the grounds. The weather was beautiful and she couldn’t help but notice the fall leaves skipping across the ground in the cool breeze. We stopped adjacent to the neighboring Mary Shoemaker Elementary School where the children were noisily playing outside. We could not help but reminisce about how at one time all six of Toy’s children had played on that very same playground. These special moments have been made possible through the financial help provided by the Greenleaf Granting Group and the Aging Assistance Granting Group, for without your assistance Toy’s financial resources would have been depleted long ago and the quality of her life would be greatly diminished. To put it quite simply, the Greenleaf Granting Group and the Aging Assistance Granting Group has made a huge difference in the quality of Toy’s life, and for that we are sincerely grateful.
I look forward to working with you and both Groups as we continue to navigate these waning years of Toy’s life. Please feel free to contact me directly if there is anything you would like to discuss regarding Toy’s condition. I would be happy to address any concerns that you may have.
Most Sincerely.
Ken Tyson
