Honoring Our Elders mission is to increase awareness and enhance the quality of life for elders living alone and in senior and long-term care facilities. There are literally thousands of people today living in nursing homes who have never had anyone visit them once.
According to statistics from the American Association of Homes for the Aging, more than 1.5 million people are in 19,000 nursing homes in the United States. Six of ten nursing home residents do not have regular visitors. This is partly because half the residents have no relatives living nearby.
One of the major projects for Honoring Our Elders is the Silver Stocking Project. The Silver Stocking Project, started in 2005, provides Christmas gifts and visits to elders in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Often times these elders are forgotten during the holidays. Names of elders without family members are provided by the facility administrator along with suggested items. With the help of volunteers, we have increased the number of residents and homes served each year. The number of elders served in Forsyth and Davie County increased from 138 the first year to over 700 through the years.