I want to give a loud shout out to Next Village in SF. It’s an organization that provides services to seniors to enable them to remain in their homes as long as possible. Services like rides to doctors, or to grocery store or shopping or checking on a member who has a medical procedure or a million other things that seniors who are alone can’t do for themselves.

Last week, the executive director of Next Village SF probably saved my life. She called to see how I was doing after a procedure. didn’t like the way I sounded, came over immediately, looked at me and called 911. I was in the hospital for 4 days with what they ultimately discovered was pneumonia.

This is not a sexy organization. It’s difficult to raise money because what they do is so personal and without publicity. Next is part of a national Village movement. If you know someone who lives alone, tell them to find a Village in their community. It’s like having family around when there is no family around.