January 2022 PAFC Newsletter

PAFC News & Updates

January 2022

Newsletter Sponsor

UnitedHealthcare

Retiring in 2022: What to Know About Medicare

If you’re planning to retire in 2022, there are some things to know about Medicare enrollment. Depending on which situation you best match below, you have some options to think about. Read through a quick list of things everyone should know about Medicare and then find the situation that best matches you.

Click here to read more!

We Are Recruiting Virtual Volunteers!

Ever wonder what it might be like to volunteer from home? Looking for a new volunteer experience that allows you to reach people without needing to hop in the car?

PAFC is recruiting Virtual Volunteers to join our team of incredible community members working to foster an age-friendly Larimer County. Volunteering virtually creates a unique experience where you can connect with community members both within your own neighborhood and miles away. We have new virtual volunteer opportunities coming up very soon - send us an email and we will be sure to keep you posted!

Eager to volunteer but hoping for some tech assistance to help you feel more confident interacting online? We've got that covered! Our Tech Buddies program helps support you with consultation on a variety of tech topics, so you can feel confident and competent working online.

Drop us a line so we can pair you with the perfect volunteer opportunity - and with a Tech Buddy too, if you like!

Connect with us!

PAFC Supporters - We Couldn't Have Done it Without YOU!

2021 was a rough one (in case you hadn't heard)! Despite the many challenges we all faced, your generosity helped us continue to make a difference in the lives of so many. Thank you for your kindness and your continued support, and for believing in our mission of creating a Larimer County where people of all ages thrive!

Eager to start off 2022 with a contribution? You can schedule your donation below:

Donate via ColoradoGives.org

Calling All Bloggers!

That means You! And your friends. Your neighbor too! Winter is such a beautiful time to reflect and put your thoughts on paper...or on a blog website. Lucky for you, PAFC has its own blog space and we want to invite you to be a part of it! You have a unique perspective to share and stories to tell, from the deep life truths you have learned along your journey, to the daily musings and tidbits that you've caught yourself laughing at throughout the day.

Take a peek at our two blogs: Still WiseCracking and Graceful Aging.

We're sure you'll find a story that resonates with you, and we'd love to have you share YOUR stories, too.

Interested in sharing your writing? You don't have to be a professional writer to join in the fun. Connect with us and learn more about our blogging opportunities.

Learn more about blogging with PAFC

HomeShare Program Returns: Ready to Help

by Sue Ballou

Do you have more space than you need or are you looking for place to live? Are you feeling isolated? Do you need extra income or to find someplace with reasonable rent? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to look into HomeShare.

HomeShare is a simple concept in which two or more people benefit from sharing a home

together. This program helps participants find a housemate who will positively impact their lives.

PAFC worked with Neighbor-to-Neighbor to launch Homeshare several years ago, but the program went into hiatus during COVID, largely because Neighbor-to-Neighbor had to pivot to provide rental assistance to so many people who were impacted by COVID. HomeShare is being re-launched and is ready to help homeowners find people to rent spaces in their homes and home seekers who are looking for a place to live. Home Seekers and Home Providers can also make agreements for services around the home in exchange for rent!

The Neighbor-to-Neighbor screening process focuses on safety and security, alongside finding

the most compatible match possible. HomeShare is more than a roommate finder. Each arrangement is unique and based upon the needs, interests and lifestyles of the individuals involved. It provides a rewarding housing option to people of all ages. To learn more or to apply visit https://www.n2n.org/rental-options/homeshare/.

Rural Life: Growing Old in the Country

by Bonnie Shetler

For over forty years my husband and I have lived along a rural county road in the foothills west of Fort Collins. We were in our thirties when we purchased 17 hillside acres and gathered plans for a modest log cabin to serve as a weekend retreat from the weekday 9-5 grind in town.

For the first few years we spent most weekend nights sleeping in a VW camper parked in a small meadow and our days cutting down beetle infested trees and getting the lay of the land.

Eventually, with the help of a few construction-wise family members, we built that cabin. Not too far into the process, after many 45-minute commutes to and from town and a growing sense of how this land nurtured our spirits, we decided to sell our house in Fort Collins and make this our home. Ten years later we could afford to add living space that gave us a more expansive view of our surroundings. Over time we have become so emotionally rooted up here that it is hard for me to imagine a full time life in town.

We are now in our 70s with longtime friends and neighbors also in their 70s and early 80s. Our shared love of country life and deep appreciation of our interdependence have easily prevailed over political and philosophical differences. Together we have been through fires, floods, high winds, blizzards, and medical emergencies. While we all moved here for peace and privacy, none of us has had to face these challenges alone.

This is a physically demanding lifestyle. Just the trek from our house down to the roadside mailbox and back takes some effort but there are also the ongoing chores of keeping brush cleared, hillside meadows mowed, fencing fixed, dead trees cut down and split into firewood, a long steep driveway maintained, not to mention managing the equipment to accomplish these things. As each of us living up here grows into our later years it is inevitable that, barring sudden early death, we will eventually need to leave our home for more manageable quarters.

One of our neighbors, who owns a sizable horse ranch to the south, has just announced he has put his property on the market. He and his wife have been a beloved part of this community for over thirty years but feel they can no longer meet the physical demands of staying. They are near my age. Their imminent departure has highlighted the issue that my husband and I have only occasionally visited over the past year. It has now become a routine topic over dinner with neighbors - not if but when it will be time to leave and what would that look like. Even the horse rancher, knowing it is time to start the process, hasn’t a clear view of what comes next.

GenHERous 2 is Finally Here!

GenHERous 2, the second installment of the much-loved GenHERous program, is happening online March 5th from 11:00am to 1:45pm. Join women from seven different generations for a powerful facilitated discussion on the many experiences that shaped their lives. Stories of hope, creative advice, and numerous lessons learned make this an event you won't want to miss. This inspiring conversation is one you will carry with you and remember for years to come!

Learn more and sign up here!

Interested in helping sponsor this event? We appreciate your generous support!

Reach out to us here!