By Linda Chuss

A flyer hanging in a local barbershop nearly 15 years ago caught the attention of Alanna Bodio. 

“The Neighbor Brigade was looking for volunteers to help community members in need of short-term assistance like meals, rides, and routine tasks,” she said. “I realized it wouldn’t take much time and I could choose to help when I was able.” So, she joined the brigade.

When one of the group’s co-leaders moved on, Bodio stepped up. Now, her co-leader has moved on, and Bodio needs a new partner. 

“There’s no fundraising or money to manage. Co-leading is connecting volunteers with requests, reaching out to related groups to make sure they know about our services, and ensuring there are enough people helping. I know there’s someone out there with the passion and bandwidth to join me.”

Bodio added, “We’re also welcoming people who need assistance to contact us. That’s anyone facing a challenging illness or injury, a death in the family, or something like a house fire. The Senior Center and other groups sometimes recommend people to us. We learn what the person needs and set them up with volunteers to assist them.

“Neighbor Brigade helps with friendly visits, rides to medical appointments, errands, dropping off meals, walking or feeding pets, and snow removal. It’s one of the most underutilized resources in town. People don’t want to ask for help, even when they could really use it. We encourage them to reach out. Requests are confidential, with only pertinent information released as needed.”

After needs for assistance are identified, the co-leaders create an online sign-up sheet for volunteers, and send an email to the list of volunteers asking them to fill in the form indicating what they can provide.

“One memorable experience was a woman moving into Sunrise Apartments who needed furniture. We teamed up with the Brothers of the Brush and found furniture, drove throughout town to pick it up, and moved it in. Another time, we helped a group, rather than a person, by making grocery deliveries for the food pantry after they lost their van driver.”

Mendon is one chapter among 20 in the parent organization, which is based in Massachusetts. They build and maintain the infrastructure, like the website, handling CORI checks, and providing the scheduling application for all the groups. 

According to www.neighborbrigade.org, the group was founded by Pam Manikas Washek who was a “tireless champion for families in crisis.” Washek lost her battle with cancer in 2021 but her legacy lives on through the missions and services of the organization.  

To learn more about the organization including what it takes to volunteer, visit www.neighborbrigade.org/volunteer, www.facebook.com/mendonneighborbrigade, or email [email protected].