Personal Aid
Printer-friendly version"We must be concerned about the welfare of every member of the Meeting community. While Friends need to guard against prying or invasion of privacy, it is nevertheless essential that Meetings be aware of the spiritual and material needs of members of the community and express caring concern in appropriate ways." -- Faith and Practice of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, p. 16.
"All Meeting members are called to care for one another and for the meeting." -- Faith and Practice, p. 54.
Within the Friends Meeting of Washington, the Personal Aid Committee shares responsibility with other committees, such as Ministry and Worship, Membership, and Marriage and Family Relations, for meeting the needs of members and attenders. Although there is some overlap amoung the committees' missions, the Personal Aid Committee concentrates on practical assistance to members and attenders in need, through the resources of the Meeting or by referral to other organizations and agencies. It also maintains contact with members and attenders who are ill, hospitalized or in other special circumstances to remind them of the community's love and concern for them.
What to do if you Need Help
The committee prefers to hear directly from Members or attenders who need assistance. We recognize that asking for help can be a very difficult thing to do. Not being able to take care of ourselves and letting someone else see us in pain or need can be causes of great distress. But to ask for and receive help can strengthen the bonds of community amoung us.
If you are a member or attender who needs the assistance of the committee, please contact either:
- The Meeting office, 202-483-3310, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., OR
- Any member of the Personal Aid Committee.
If you contact the Meeting office, the Administrative Secretary will, in turn, pass your request on to the committee.
We will treat with the utmost confidentiality any discussions we have with you and any assistance we provide.
What to do if You Know Someone Who May Need Assistance from the Committee
We recognize that some people may not think of contact the committee or may be reluctant to do so. If you know someone you think may need our assistance, we hope you will either encourage them to contact us or contact us yourself. The committee will get in touch with that person. We hope that any such inquiry from a member of the committee will be taken in the spirit in which it is offered.
Encouraging the individual to contact the Personal Aid Committee. The committee feels that having the request come from the individual in need rather than from a third party is preferrable. Then the committee will be certain that the individual really needs assistance and will be able to get as much information as necessary about the kind of help that would be appropriate. In addition, by talking with the person about their possible need for assistance, you may find that the person does not share your belief that they need help. Sometimes people observe others and assume that they need help, are in a vulnerable situation, or cannot make decisions. Often this observation is accurate, but sometimes it is not.
Please be careful not to make any promises about what the committee will be able to do. For one person to promise something and expect someone else to carry it out, without making certain it is realistic, can create dissatisfaction and a sense of abandonment. A Friend's best interests are not served, and hurt feelings can result.
Contacting the committee with information about the possible need. You may wish to contact the committee about emergencies, individuals unwilling to contact the committee themselves, or individuals you were unable to contact. Present to the committee a description of the situaltion you observed and what has led you to believe that assistance is needed. Let us know, also, if you are approaching the committee without getting the approval of the person in question, and why.
We welcome suggestions about what actions the committee should take, but please trust us to determine how best to proceed. Make the committee aware of important details, which only you may know, that may help determine a plan of action. And condisder continuing to work with us in planning and providing assistance.
What You Can Do to Help
We are all potentially both receivers and givers of help to each other. The great strength of our spiritual comminity is the love and care that we have for one another. It is vital to the health of our community that we all provide support to those members and attenders in need. It would be extrememly helpfu lfor the committee to know, in advance, what kinds of assistance you might be able to provide. Please feel free to talk with any committee member about your willingness to help out. Some kinds of assistance include:
- Helping with meals
- Providing transportation
- Running errands
- Visiting Friends in hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
- Making phone calls
- Participating in Meeting for Worship with Friends who cannot come to Meeting
Please let the office or a member of the Personal Aid committee know if you can help in any of these ways or if you have an area of expertise that Friends may find helpful.