Over the course of two hours on May 10 and 11, 20 residents went to work diligently folding letters, stuffing and sealing envelopes, and pressing on address labels to help the Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center (FVRC) put together a 500-piece mailing. Residents who joined the effort were from independent living, assisted living, and the Green memory care. After establishing an assembly line-style work method, the residents found their groove and were able to chat and laugh with each other while helping the cause at the same time!

The FVRC, located in Pittsboro, NC, provides safety, advocacy, counseling, legal assistance, children’s programs, and education to battered women and sexual assault victims in Chatham County. This non-profit agency was one of eight recipients of Carolina Meadows’ 2010 Community Grants. In a thank you note to all participating residents, an FVRC staff member said, “Dear Mailing Magicians,… We are SO grateful for the help assembling our Father’s Day mailing campaign. You have no idea how excited the office was to have your help, as I usually have to pull everyone a way from their work for an hour or two throughout the day when we put that mailing together ourselves.”

These “Helping Hands” activities will continue to be offered to Carolina Meadows residents as various community projects and needs come up. In April, a group of residents put together 300 candy-filled Spring treats for patients at the Durham VA.