This spring, Springwell is once again enlisting our community in supporting the seniors we serve while also providing a way for donors to honor and celebrate the mothers in their lives.

If you were to draw a composite of the typical person who receives services from Springwell, she would be an 80-year-old woman living by herself at or just above the poverty level. Each week she would receive seven hours of personal care, five hours of homemaking, and home-delivered meals. This relatively small amount of support would help keep her out of an expensive institutionalized setting and in her own home. More often than not, her emergency contact would be her child.

Given this picture, Mother’s Day is the perfect holiday for a campaign to support the Elder Independence Fund. These funds support the small necessities (perhaps a bathtub grab bar or a phone for the hearing impaired) that state-subsidized programs will not pay for but can make a big difference in helping seniors maintain their independence. It also provides peace of mind for their caregivers.

The annual campaign was first launched last year to a warm reception. One of the first donors was Sasha Steinbaugh, a Springwell Case Management Supervisor, who made donations in honor of both her mother, Judy Csatari, and her new mother-in-law, Kathleen Steinbaugh (pictured here with her own mother, Clare Wilber). “For me, it just made so much sense,” said Sasha, “My mother has been so supportive of my work, and we grew up giving back to local, community-based charities. It was also a great way to connect to and honor my mother-in-law, who supports her own 89-year-old mother.”

For each donation made, the donor receives a special Springwell Mother’s Day card to send to his/her loved one. The card outlines the services made possible by the donation and includes a place to fill in the donor’s name as well as a personal note. This year the campaign hopes to raise $5,000 for the Elder Independence Fund. To make a donation and get cards for the mothers in your life, go to our donation page.