FINDING MEANING, EARNING RESPECT

“I’ve always been in love with the vibe over here,” Karen Bloom says of Harbor Country. “It’s a wonderful little piece of heaven on earth, as far as I’m concerned.” But there was one element missing from her world: an opportunity to give back. Karen had earned her social work degree and ran social service programs before launching a private executive search enterprise. “I’ve always had a passion for social service and combatting poverty, but I’ve never had the time to volunteer.”

Karen attended the Neighbor by Neighbor Founders’ Day Brunch and realized this was where she could make a contribution. As she began delivering food to families in need, she saw the scale of poverty in the area she loved. “It’s easy for people to come here for a week in the summer and never really see the poverty here,” she notes. “But when you deliver food to those homes or apartments, you understand that it’s here, and it crosses all age groups. Anyone may find themselves facing a real turn of fate where they need help to try to get back on their feet.”

Over the months and years, Karen loved seeing the impact Neighbor by Neighbor was having. “When I first joined, most people didn’t know about us yet. I’d go into businesses to ask for donations or pass out posters, and I’d have to explain Neighbor by Neighbor and the good we were doing. Now they know us.

"Area businesses say they like our organization, and they want to be a part of it. It’s been so rewarding to watch the respect and awareness grow. It makes us better able to serve the people in our community.”

Karen notes that the community aspect of Neighbor by Neighbor also makes a difference. “People don’t have to maneuver through a large organization. We can be nimble in responding to people’s needs. That’s important, because there are no shelters out here. We can quickly step in to help people who are threatened with losing their housing.”

Karen finishes her morning food delivery and heads back out to pick up an item for the raffle and deliver posters. During the afternoon she’ll make follow-up calls about sponsorship money and create some social media posts to advertise the Founders’ Day Bruch and live auction items. “I’m really busy, and that feels good to me. I know that we make a difference — without the work we do, it would be hard for many people here to make ends meet. Where we can intervene to help, we should.” Karen adds that while her work benefits others, it’s also added meaning to her own life. “You can do a little or do a lot, you can choose what level you want to be involved in, but any amount of volunteering provides a tremendous amount of meaning.”