Our story is set in Rotherfield UK. A pretty little village that I could describe with many facts and figures and our family and I living there and it is lovely. During last winter and the thaw that followed we were faced with days of not having water because of burst water pipes.
My wife Louise had just started working for RSM and a few quick phone calls that Saturday morning after discovering that there was no water the women led the village into action by organizing things.
I agreed to volunteer and during one of our trips we visted one of the older members of the community - lets call her Alice - that was my Grandmas name. Alice lives in Rotherfield but her family doesn't. Like many of us families are now scattered around the world. Two generations ago all my family were within a radius of 2 miles these days thats a rarity these days. Alice had been doing OK during the snow but was a bit bound up at home now. She regularly attends RSM and all their regularly weekly events. Louise noticed that her fruit was a little past its best and whilst the stoic Alice didn't agree - theres still life in that orange yet, we asked whether she would like us to refresh it by getting some new fruit from the supermarket. "What do you like" Louise asked. The reply astounded me "Anything, as long as it means you will come back and talk to me". Loneliness struck home. We live our lives in seeming unawareness of other peoples plight and being lonely and isolated has some severe consequences.
The work of RSM is based not on any academic models or such like. Its about a community organizing things and getting things done. The actions of RSM organizing during the water crisis was an example to that. Regular meetings for the members and clubs as well as vibrant volunteer community helping out. The modern world is busy, and RSM with its volunteers help out all the time coordinated by a great team. Its often the simple small things that can make a difference for many people. RSM is a hub for the village, its a face to face centre, its a telephone line where people know the person at the other end. its connection. However RSM are always looking for donations to keep all these services going because it costs money. Yes we can argue about who should pay but in the meantime the women at RSM have already organised for the fund raising to come from many charitable sources who want their money to be spent to make sure loneliness and isolation can be elivated or lessened.
So this is why I am doing @challengeaccepted321 More on that later