In our second Executive Committee meeting held on May 25, 2017, it was decided that being an organisation with social responsibility, The Millennium Elders' Forum (estd 2008) would initiate the Helping Hands Project as part of our community service activity.
Here's the Concept Note on this project:-
What We Wish To Do:
In collaboration with the various Apartment Owners Associations, facilitate the creation of a committed group of volunteers who will provide a helping hand to residents of Brigade Millennium, Brigade Gardenia and Brigade Palmsprings in their hour of need. This initiative can provide immense relief to residents in their moments of need. It also results in a high degree of satisfaction in the volunteers for having been of service to another human in distress in an increasingly impersonal world.
Why This Need:
In times of acute distress, example an accident in the house, a medical emergency, an emergency caused by a security or safety lapse, we tend to panic and often do things we don't ordinarily do or don't do things that we do as a matter of routine! This is because we are under great stress. It is most common to feel awfully lonely and lost in such situations. At such times, more than anything else perhaps, what we need is an assurance that we are not alone and that help is at hand.
Time being of the essence in emergencies, what matters is how fast aid is provided rather than who provides it. It make take hours for your family to respond but by then it may be too late. People have lost valuable time searching for medicines, looking for blood donors with the required blood group, struggling to call for medical help, an ambulance etc.
Having a directory of volunteers or Helping Hands readily available will significantly cut down time to address the needs of the person in distress. Each block will have such a directory in the reception and with the Manager so that volunteers can be called to help 24x7, 365 days a year. While this may also be available on electronic format, the base document will be a physical document such as a register as some, especially among the elders may not be tech savvy enough to access emails, apps, internet resources etc.
Who Will This Serve
Beneficiaries will be all residents of the Brigade Millennium, Brigade Gardenia, and Brigade Palmsprings complexes. This service is not restricted to the elderly or to members of the MEF. While in general, elders tend to be more vulnerable than others, emergencies can strike anyone at anytime irrespective of age or gender.
Who Can Volunteer
We actively seek the support of qualified medical practitioners/psychiatrists/social counselors in our campuses who will consent to make themselves available to be reached at any time of the day or night in an emergency situation. They are best trained to decide the course of action on reaching the spot.
Any person above 18 years of age, physically and mentally capable of helping in an emergency, can register. Having a valid driving licence, certification in first aid and other such qualifications would be added advantages.
Volunteers can offer to be of service in one or more of these ways: donate blood, assist the injured and /or their family members, drive a patient to the hospital, arrange for ambulance or immediate medicines etc etc depending of course on the circumstances of each case.
As this is totally voluntary, there can be no "desired number of volunteers". Generally, the services of volunteers will, in the first instance be towards the blocks in which they reside. At times, if the situation so demands, assistance can be sought from volunteers in other blocks.
Next Steps
Once there is broad agreement on this concept note and it is refined, the members of the MEF Executive Committee will meet with Presidents and Management Committees of the various Apartment Owners Associations in BM/BG/BPS to seek their support and involvement in implementing this initiative which can be of significant benefit to our residents.
MEF members will then help the Owners Associations to propagate the idea within each apartment block / complex.
Each Block will start this activity as per their convenience but we would do our best to have at least a few Blocks implement our Helping Hands Project by end July 2017.
Here's the Concept Note on this project:-
What We Wish To Do:
In collaboration with the various Apartment Owners Associations, facilitate the creation of a committed group of volunteers who will provide a helping hand to residents of Brigade Millennium, Brigade Gardenia and Brigade Palmsprings in their hour of need. This initiative can provide immense relief to residents in their moments of need. It also results in a high degree of satisfaction in the volunteers for having been of service to another human in distress in an increasingly impersonal world.
Why This Need:
In times of acute distress, example an accident in the house, a medical emergency, an emergency caused by a security or safety lapse, we tend to panic and often do things we don't ordinarily do or don't do things that we do as a matter of routine! This is because we are under great stress. It is most common to feel awfully lonely and lost in such situations. At such times, more than anything else perhaps, what we need is an assurance that we are not alone and that help is at hand.
Time being of the essence in emergencies, what matters is how fast aid is provided rather than who provides it. It make take hours for your family to respond but by then it may be too late. People have lost valuable time searching for medicines, looking for blood donors with the required blood group, struggling to call for medical help, an ambulance etc.
Having a directory of volunteers or Helping Hands readily available will significantly cut down time to address the needs of the person in distress. Each block will have such a directory in the reception and with the Manager so that volunteers can be called to help 24x7, 365 days a year. While this may also be available on electronic format, the base document will be a physical document such as a register as some, especially among the elders may not be tech savvy enough to access emails, apps, internet resources etc.
Who Will This Serve
Beneficiaries will be all residents of the Brigade Millennium, Brigade Gardenia, and Brigade Palmsprings complexes. This service is not restricted to the elderly or to members of the MEF. While in general, elders tend to be more vulnerable than others, emergencies can strike anyone at anytime irrespective of age or gender.
Who Can Volunteer
We actively seek the support of qualified medical practitioners/psychiatrists/social counselors in our campuses who will consent to make themselves available to be reached at any time of the day or night in an emergency situation. They are best trained to decide the course of action on reaching the spot.
Any person above 18 years of age, physically and mentally capable of helping in an emergency, can register. Having a valid driving licence, certification in first aid and other such qualifications would be added advantages.
Volunteers can offer to be of service in one or more of these ways: donate blood, assist the injured and /or their family members, drive a patient to the hospital, arrange for ambulance or immediate medicines etc etc depending of course on the circumstances of each case.
As this is totally voluntary, there can be no "desired number of volunteers". Generally, the services of volunteers will, in the first instance be towards the blocks in which they reside. At times, if the situation so demands, assistance can be sought from volunteers in other blocks.
Next Steps
Once there is broad agreement on this concept note and it is refined, the members of the MEF Executive Committee will meet with Presidents and Management Committees of the various Apartment Owners Associations in BM/BG/BPS to seek their support and involvement in implementing this initiative which can be of significant benefit to our residents.
MEF members will then help the Owners Associations to propagate the idea within each apartment block / complex.
Each Block will start this activity as per their convenience but we would do our best to have at least a few Blocks implement our Helping Hands Project by end July 2017.
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