To mark our 24th year of successful business, we have established a new program; “BERGFELD’s Partnerships for the Elderly™”, a collaboration, ‘pro bono’, with businesses and related professionals to help elders at risk in their homes because of hoarding.
BERGFELD’s collaborates with social service agencies that identify qualifying elders from among their clients. Agency participation includes establishing a ‘Support Team’ for the client.
Our very first BERGFELD’s Partnerships for the Elderly™ project rescued a man at risk of losing his Coop. apartment. He is a long term resident, a loved and respected community activist in the Bronx, NY with an engaging skill for puns.
To clear and reconfigure his home, we recruited and collaborated with SLEEPY’s, Andersen Ross, Junk Junkies, Perna Carting Company, the client’s superintendent and real estate management company, a local plumber and a ‘handyman’ all of whom donated their products and services at no cost. We also coordinated with a neighborhood charity and soup kitchen, needing men’s clothing.
The social services agency also accepts responsibility for implementing the plan for ongoing monitoring, upkeep and maintenance of the client’s home after BERGFELD’s Partnerships for the Elderly™ finishes clearing and reconfiguring the elder’s home.
This “Partnerships™” project is the subject of an extensive article in The New York Times, 26 August, 2010 and a segment on CBS News at 11:00, 27 September, 2010.
We plan to do as many of these ‘pro bono’ Partnerships™ projects as feasible while our calendar continues to be regularly booked with our ongoing clients.