A partner is defined as a person who shares or is associated with another person in some action or endeavor – a “sharer.”  When you get right down to it, that’s what Partners in Care is all about!  Headquartered on Ritchie Highway in Pasadena, MD, Partners in Care is a non-profit organization founded in 1993 by three women with degrees in administration and gerontology who wanted to make a difference in their community. With the goal of helping older adults stay independent in their own homes, co-founders Barbara Huston, Maureen Cavaiola, and Sandra Jackson developed a program for people to use their time and talents to help each other. A concept of mutual exchange is what is at the heart of PIC: people share their time and talents in exchange for the same, or they can bank their hours to use later (or donate to other members for their use).

Partners in Care is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year – a milestone in the non-profit business community! “Everything we do is in the community,” says Barbara Huston, one of the co-founders of Partners in Care. “We take people to the doctor, to get groceries, fix sticky windows and leaky faucets, install handrails in their homes. We have members who volunteer to drive, perform handyman work, visit, advocate for people.”  PIC provides about 6,000 rides per year for older adults in the community, and the service that they provide is “arm-to-arm, door-to-door” – a service that is greatly appreciated! Working with familiar members of PIC is a comfort for many older adults, and PIC members tackle about 500 safety-related installations or handyman jobs a year.

To become a member of Partners in Care, a person would contact them and submit an application. Once an in-home interview has been conducted, PIC will match the person up with members in their community that can provide them with the help or service they need. Some people are more active in parts of their lives but need help in others. PIC also helps members identify the talents that they can share in return.

For the past eight years, Partners in Care has also operated a successful “Upscale Resale Boutique” at 6 South Ritchie Highway in Pasadena.  Filled with gently-used clothing, jewelry, accessories, books, furniture, and household items, the boutique accepts donations on a regular basis, and the profits support the ongoing activities of PIC. Each month, about 70 volunteers work in the boutique and bank their hours for immediate or later exchange use.

Just in time for holiday shopping, the boutique is featuring several sales. December 15 marks the boutique’s big holiday sale, where large discounts will be offered. Also featured are the regular bag sales, where shoppers can fill a bag (provided by PIC) with discounted merchandise and pay just $5 for each filled bag! The upcoming bag sale date is November 29.

Businesses can help support the mission of PIC in several ways: by donating overstocked inventory or end-of-season items to the boutique; by donating time or financial resources; or by organizing employees to perform larger jobs for members (as needed) during the year.  Everyone can support PIC by recycling their gently-used clothing and household items by donating them to PIC.

www.partnersincare.org
office: 410-544-4800
boutique: 410-544-0568

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