Good Neighbors in Interlaken / Trumansburg Free Press
Good Neighbors Interlaken is a program that offers free help when neighbors might need it the most. The program is the brainchild of Franklin Becker, who decided to piggy- back on an idea that his longtime friend from Stansfield, England implemented.
Her town is a lot like Interlaken. “She started a similar program in her village and improved upon what had already been done,” Becker said. “She had a simple idea that worked where people in need would call a phone number and the dispatcher would look through a list of volunteers to match the caller with someone who could complete the task.”
Franklin Becker and his Steering Committee (Jennifer Cornacchio, George Daddis, Sally Sumner, and Lindsay Mitchell) have been busy organizing Good Neighbors Interlaken and are spreading the word through organizations, clubs, businesses, churches and– hopefully– word of mouth. Rack Cards have been posted in the library, museum, and various restaurants and shops in the Interlaken area. The Village Board and the Interlaken Community Action Group (ICAG) have given the organization their support.
Do you know someone in the Interlaken village or immediate surrounding area who could use a helping hand from time to time? Maybe you could use a little support yourself. Call (607)233-4423 to ask for assistance. The dispatcher will ask you a few questions and match you up with a volunteer to help. Friendly volunteers will normally answer calls made between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and they will aim to check phone messages daily. An email address (contact@goodneighborsinterlaken.com) and a website (www.goodneighborsinterlaken.com) will also be up and running by February.
Good Neighbors Interlaken is not expensive to run and calls coming in through Google Voice are free, making it relatively easy to implement. Many residents of Interlaken are elderly and/or live alone, so they cannot complete as many of the necessary tasks themselves anymore. People have trouble being as independent as they would like to be.
This program is not just for older individuals. It is for anyone who needs help, whether due to a medical issue, a disability, or not enough finances to hire a professional for a simple job. “I met an elderly gentleman at Old Home Days who had a broken railing on his steps, which made it difficult for him to leave his house,” Becker said. “He couldn’t fix it himself and didn’t have the money to pay for it to be repaired, so he couldn’t use the stairs.”
Do you have a leaky sink or faucet and can’t afford a plumber? How about those pesky weeds in your garden? Need help setting up your new computer or have trouble adding the features to your TV? Just out of the hospital and need help walking your dog? The Interlaken area now has a responsible team of 18 volunteers who have been professionally vetted and possess many talents to help with a wide range of small tasks, such as light yard work, help with computers and tech support, minor household tasks, simple carpentry repairs, rides to appointments and grocery stores, emergency meals, light occasional gardening, raking leaves, snow shoveling, just having a friendly chat, pet care, and checking in with neighbors. You just have to ask.
Good Neighbors Interlaken is dedicated to improving the quality of life and building stronger community connections and engagement for residents of the greater Interlaken Village area, including Sheldrake and Kidders. It is a project associated with the Interlaken Community Action Group (ICAG) and Interlaken Village. If you would like to volunteer, contact Good Neighbors Interlaken.
Volunteers are not paid and do not expect tips. There is no expectation to receive money for their services. Recipients of services might bake cookies or other baked goods for the volunteers or just pay it forward in the future. It is not about the money. Donations can be made, however, through the Good Neighbors Interlaken’s webpage once it is up and running. Grants have been acquired from STEPS, a Seneca County nonprofit, and Sustainable Finger Lakes to offset costs for rack cards and other financial requirements. Some fundraising has been done with local organizations and businesses.
According to Becker, Good Neighbors Interlaken will start small and grow within the village, as well as Ovid, Lodi and other surrounding areas. “We aren’t going to mow 24 acres or your yard every week,” Becker said. “We want to make sure we can deliver on the smaller tasks that people need help with from time to time and succeed in helping our neighbors in the process.”