June 2023: Adventures In The Waiting
One of the most common and important questions people ask us is, "Where do you find Advocates, and where do you find Partners?
It started with a small group of us, who had already committed to one-to-one, freely given relationships, and invited others to do the same. Over time, some of our other friends made similar commitments. And then their friends got involved. Many years later, the pattern remains.
For example, Ry (Advocate) found out about Do For One through a friend of hers at church who was already involved with us. Shanquette (Partner) found out about Do For One through another Partner living in her building.
Adventures In The Waiting
Ry (Right) and Shanquetter (Left) are both Brooklynites with big dreams.
Shanquette is a dedicated mother who just celebrated one year of living on her own, whereas Ry is a country-hopping flight attendant seeking to find meaningful ways to love others.
The Waiting
Shanquette felt stuck at home from not having a functioning wheelchair when she asked Ry to help pick up her new motorized wheelchair in Manhattan.
The day took a turn when Shanquette’s Access-a-ride (a transportation service for people with disabilities) was three hours late!
Ry says, “Her ride kept getting pushed an hour, and then another hour, and I started trying to rush because I didn’t want to miss my church community group that night. It was an eye-opening day because I realized I’m not used to missing something I planned to go to. At first, I felt impatient, but then I stopped and thought about how there’s probably nothing else God would have wanted me to do that day than to wait with Shanquette. It made me reflect on the barriers that Shanquette faces on a daily basis to get places and how not having to wait all the time is a privilege.”
The Adventure
Shanquette and Ry found a way to turn their three-hour wait into an adventure in Central Park. It was Shanquette’s first time in Central Park in about 20 years.
“Ry is a very cool, down to earth person. She’s someone I can hang with.”
— Shanquette
“I love the person Shanquette is and she deserves to be known in greater community.”
— Ry
Support Us
PROMOTE: Follow and Share Our Instagram Stories, Podcast, And YouTube Videos
GIVE: Consider supporting us with a financial gift to help us continue to realize Do For One's vision. Click the donate button below to learn more.
PRAY: This June, pray for several Partners experiencing unstable living situations and for Advocates as they navigate how to support their Partners through many significant challenges.
DO FOR ONE is a relationship-building program that brings isolated people into greater community life. We selectively match one person with developmental disabilities (‘partner’) with another person who enjoys a more socially included life (‘advocate’).
BOARD
Christina Park | Caroline Oh | Maria Newkirk | Nick Nowalk
STAFF
Andrew Oliver | Founder, Executive Director andrew@doforone.org
Jane Yoon | Program Manager jane@doforone.org
Valerie Listwon | Associate Coordinator valerie@doforone.org