Hope for the Generations: A Profile of Friends for Life in the Waco Community
Abstract
Friends for Life (FFL) is a service, charity organization that seeks to empower individuals in need. In
providing the basic resources and companionship to mainly the elderly and people with disabilities, FFL
strives to provide them a high quality of life. This report will present the detailed findings of this
organization’s history, mission, activities, and concerns that were gathered through interviews,
brochures, documents, and the organization’s webpage. By discussing and analyzing the findings, FFL’s
need and desire is to be more plugged into the counties they serve becomes clearly evident. Using the
analyzed information we gathered in this report, we are then able to help FFL further serve the people
by providing practical steps to reach their goal in reaching out to the Waco community.
Introduction
After hearing that her grandfather had been moved to the hospital to receive medical care, Inez Russell
went to the hospital to visit him. While there, she heard a grief-stricken, wailing woman who exclaimed
that she did not want to die alone. After that, Ms. Russell began frequently visiting the hospital to be
with patients who were dying and had no company. In 1989, she started a non-profit organization
called Friends for Life in Waco, Texas to reach out and help the elderly and people with disabilities who
require outside assistance. One of the main services is and was the Adult Day Center which includes
providing nutritious lunch and snacks, assistance with daily living tasks, transportation, and resting areas
with recliners.
According to the 2010 census, it was reported that about 11.3% of the Waco population is comprised of
people who were 65 years of age or older. This population comprises a third of the population living
below the poverty line (Wikipedia). Through various programs including Independent Living and Quality
of Life Programs and adult day cares, Friends for Life has drastically taken action in protecting and caring
for people who cannot care for themselves or just need assistance in carrying out basic tasks in their
daily lives. In the year of 2012, 7,326 checks were written to help those who do not have the capacity to
manage their own money, 404 care plans were created for each individual, and 19,323 lunches were
served by Friends for Life.
Through our desire to support this organization and its work in improving the quality of care of the
elderly and people with disabilities, we have researched about the organization’s history, mission,
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activities, and funding. This report is intended to discuss the findings of the research and address some
of FFL’s major concerns for their marketing strategies. The integrated and analyzed findings could then
be used to take further steps in finding out some of FFL’s important needs in further expanding its work
in the Waco community. By highlighting the impact Friends for Life is bringing into Waco, we will then
address some of the ways the needs can be met through an organized outline listing several realistic
steps. The steps will include using social media in reaching out to two very different audiences - the
public and the people in need. It is our hope that this report will be used as a strong foundation and
took in helping us successfully broaden the scope of care brought out and shared by Friends for Life.
Research Methods
Most of the research done and data collected came from the FFL website. Because the website is well
maintained and updated, it made finding relevant information fairly easy to locate. The website was
reviewed with the intent of obtaining more information about the mission and history of FFL, as well as
providing a summary of the types of services and events they host. Each tab on the main page of the
website was reviewed to garner this information; notes were taken to better understand the
functionality of each section of the web page. Notes were also taken on any confusion the website
caused and any aspect of FFL website information that needed to be clarified.
In order to gain this clarity, Upholding Foundations performed field research by going to the FFL building
and conducting a meeting with the founder, Inez Russell. Mrs. Russell founded FFL in 1989 after
realizing the unacknowledged need of elderly patients in her neighborhood. Over the course of 20 years
it has developed into nationally recognized charity with its headquarters in Waco, Texas and 4 other
satellite centers over Texas.
This meeting did a good job of showing how the organization works as a whole. Through the meeting
and touring, a good amount of observation took place. These observations add to the developing profile
of FFL. The brochures, handouts, and Friends for Life Cookbook that FFL had were also used as sources
of research. Through these resources, detailed facts and data on the financial statements, specific
programs and facilities were gathered in learning more about the various activities the organization did.
The research is limited to the information provided by Friends for Life. They are extensive in detailing
their plans, and events, and service via their website and promotional material. However, the results
and customer satisfaction were harder to gage. An annual report was provided to give an idea of the
impact (Appendix B and C). To counterbalance this, visiting the facility allowed team members to get a
real time reading on the atmosphere and observe the patients. Again though, aside from feelings during
observation, there is nothing to measure the success of Friends for Life in completing their job.
An on-site interview was conducted with Inez Russell in which she showed us around the facilities and
told us the history and purpose of the 5 main functions of Friends for Life: Independent Living,
Guardianship, Money Management, Adult Day Care, and Quality of Life. Four team members were
present at the site, we took brochures and pamphlets that were available at the front desk, took
pictures of the site and of the literature that we could not take out of the site, took notes on the
conversation between the group and Inez, and received extra literature from Inez at the conclusion of
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the tour. We wanted both pictures and written notes just in case we would like to quote Ms. Russell and
we wanted any written literature to gain as much insight into the cause and need of the organization.
All received documents were scanned and published on a pdf file and released to the group via
Facebook. Each member of the group read the documents and made personal decisions about which
information would be best included in their section. Among the literature was a cookbook with a
detailed description of how Friends for Life got its start as well as how each of its five programs began to
kick off. Also there were pamphlets at the front desk for people looking to help volunteer for any of the
five programs. Inez gave us the Annual Monetary Report for 2012 so we can see the overview of where
the money was going.
Results and Findings
In reviewing the documents provided both by the website and by Ms. Russell, the overall genre of
writing in this community is open easy language intended for all audiences to understand the purpose
and the role of Friends for Life. The sentences are simple enough for the common English reader and the
writing style is meant to encourage and persuade readers to contribute to the organization in some way
whether by volunteering, sponsoring an elderly person, or by monetary contribution. Ethos and pathos
are implemented in the various blog stories found on the right hand panel of the website. “Guardianship
Stories” give first-hand accounts of the people who are guardians of elderly friends in this organization
which consist of uplifting mini blog-like stories of some of the lifelong benevolent benefits to being a
guardian both for the elderly person and even more importantly for the guardian themselves. There is
also another link to “Inez’s Stories” which are mini blog excerpts from Inez Russell herself writing of the
effects Friends for Life has had on both the elderly person and herself. These mini blogs are easily read
on the screen with a prominent red title describing the general plot of the story, sometime the title will
also serve as a link to the full text story if the blog was longer than 250 characters. There are about 10
titles to a page and they are very easy to read, one could all of the mini stories on the first page in a
matter minutes and complete their reading a greater perspective on what guardians do and how the
lives of the elderly are uplifted by this program.
History
Friends for Life was first created as a charity organization in September of 1989 in Waco, Texas when
Inez Russell, the founder of FFL, decided to take action in reaching out to the elderly patients in
hospitals who had no one to care for them. She saw the impact that simply being present with someone
could have. From those first visits to local hospitals, it has since grown and now serves 42 Texas counties
in the Waco, Temple, Abilene, San Antonio, and Tyler areas that serve their community of the elderly
and people with disabilities in many different ways. What started out as comforting those in need of a
friend has grown into many services to benefit those who, for whatever reason, cannot care for
themselves.
Mission
The mission of Friends for Life is to help the elderly and people with disabilities “live independently as
long as possible.” They do this by providing protection and care to those who need someone to care for
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them that “brings generations together to enrich lives.” FFL has learned through personal experiences
and stories how to best serve people in these situations. Strongly believing that those who are
abandoned or mistreated by their families deserve to be cared for, FFL believes that the limited, slow
and tedious life of elderly people and people with disabilities can be improved by simple acts of kindness
and care, bringing joy not only to the clients but to the caregivers. FFL understands that some people are
in bad situations, but that is not the end of their story. By placing great importance on building and
improving the quality of life for the people, FFL seeks to provide support through daily interactions and
lifestyle supporting programs. These things can lead to prolonged life and a sense of purpose.
Areas of Service
Friends for Life serve the Texas community through Guardianship Programs, Money Management
Programs, Independent Living and Quality of Life Programs, Intergenerational Programs, and Adult Day
Care Programs. All of the programs serve to provide service to the elderly and people with disabilities in
areas that were most in need of assistance and guidance.
·
The Guardianship Program is by far FFL’s biggest program, as it reaches 42 counties in Texas. This
service provides people who can serve as guardians to people who lack the ability to make their
own medical or personal decisions and have no family members to aid them. FFL is usually
appointed someone’s legal guardian by a judge when it is deemed necessary. The people appointed
are normally elderly or adults with disabilities who have been victims of abuse or neglect and are
unable to care for themselves. FFL has offices located in Temple, Abilene, San Antonio, and Tyler in
addition to the main Waco location. These offices usually have a few employees that oversee the
counties in the area. FFL is also looking to more than double the amount of counties that they can
be guardians in. As guardians, FFL makes sure living conditions are adequate, food is available,
medical care is supplied, and love and support exists in magnitude.
·
The Money Management Program brings numerous trained volunteers to help the elderly and
people with disabilities handle their budgets by helping them pay bills, balance checkbooks, and
reconcile bank statements. The volunteers also help the people connect with resources in the
community and access benefits. To avoid any legal trouble or exploitation, once an FFL staff
member or volunteer writes a check for a client, that is the only person allowed to write checks for
that client.
·
The Independent Living and Quality of Life Program recruits, trains, and organizes volunteers who
can help the elderly live independently as long as possible with a better quality of life by doing
chores and household activities that the elderly are unable to perform. Volunteers will also go visit
those who are lonely just so that they would have a friend to talk to or be with. This came from
Inez Russell’s experience because apparently just knowing someone cares about you can make
such a difference mentally that it affects one’s whole output on life.
·
The Intergenerational Programs encourage people of different generations to come together and
learn to build healthy relationships, like bringing adults and children to set aside their differences
and learn to trust, respect, and love each other. To accomplish this there are programs set in place
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such as the pet, pen pal, and friends for Thanksgiving programs. The pet program brings gentle
animals to visit nursing home residents. The pen pal program is set up so that elderly and nursing
home residents receive and return cards and letters to children. The friends for Thanksgiving
program lets volunteers bring home cooked Thanksgiving meals to seniors who would otherwise
spend the holidays alone.
·
Lastly, the Adult Day Care Programs provide centers that are open daily in providing meals,
transportation, exercise programs, and social interactions between the people and volunteers. The
center is located in Waco and is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Their
current capacity is around 120 people, and they have no trouble filling it up. Some of the clients
have families, but the amount of care required does not allow that family to have a job or life
outside of that care. The Adult Day Care program allows those family members to be at ease
knowing that their child, sibling, or parent is well taken care of. Services provided include exercise,
social interaction, meals and snacks, assistance with daily living tasks, parties and special events,
medical assistance, and transportation to and from the center.
Community Events
Four main big events that happen include “No-Benefit Benefit,” “Gifts for Grannies and Grandpas too,”
“Friends for Thanksgiving,” and “Golf Tournament,” all of which were established in gathering the Texas
community to join FFL in interacting and providing service to the elderly and people with disabilities.
·
The event “No-Benefit Benefit” is carried out by sending numerous letters to about four thousand
people in Central Texas that explains the work Friends for Life is doing and invites them to be a part
of their work. Various sponsors are listed in donating funds to the organization. There are different
sponsorship levels ranging from $100 to $10,000. The letter usually includes a touching story about
one of the clients that FFL has as a way to stir the hearts of those reading, and to explain what they
do as an organization. Last year they raised $46,402.
·
The event “Gifts for grannies and Grandpas too” is held on the holidays and birthdays of people
with disabilities, providing a list of gifts that people can bring to offer individual gifts or items that
can decorate room facilities. Volunteers are asked to pick up, drop off, wrap and package the gifts
that will be delivered. These gifts can be anything from clothes and personal care products to
Christmas decorations and cookies.
·
“Friends for Thanksgiving” happens through thanksgiving food donations from businesses,
churches and individuals that are packaged as dinners for homebound elderly and people with
disabilities. These donations include turkeys, rolls, green beans, potatoes, and gravy. Volunteers
then package everything together so that it can easily be taken to elderly who are homebound. Last
year 323 dinners were delivered.
·
The “Golf Tournament” event provides breakfast, lunch, and awards to people who participate in a
golf tournament, encouraging sponsorship opportunities from individual players. The cost to enter
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the tournament is $125, so FFL can raise money while the sponsors have fun in a time of fellowship
with people from FFL and other members of the community.
Volunteers
Although there are many people from different backgrounds who are serving as volunteers in the
various programs and events for FFL, there is a constant demand for more volunteers to help aid the
various programs offered. People who are interested in volunteering at Friends for Life need to
complete an online application, where they can list some of their preferences and interests in serving at
a specific program. The hours of volunteering will depend on which city and program they enlist. Last
year (2012) FFL had around 2,500 volunteers help out, but it was made clear that they could use ten
times that number. Workers at FFL would really like to see one-on-one interaction with their clients,
especially in the Adult Day Care, but with a limited number of workers and volunteers they must stay
together as a group. Because there are so many different opportunities to volunteer, there is really no
limit to the type of people they need. As long as the volunteer is willing to devote a little time and effort
to the benefit of others, FFL welcomes them with open arms.
Funding
The funding FFL receives is mainly maintained through grants and funding from the state government at
a combined percentage of 84%. FFL also is always open for donations by people and companies as they
continuously seek and apply for additional grants they may be eligible for. Although there is a high
demand of expenses that must be paid from transportation, nursing care, food, activities, and facilities,
funding is not a major concern for the organization. With that said, the search for money never stops,
and any amount that is given helps.
FFL usually has a few funding raising endeavors such as the “Golf Tournament,” the “No-Benefit
Benefit,” and selling their cookbook (Appendix A). About every year or so FFL will put together a
cookbook that has recipes from celebrities as well as friends of FFL. The book is also filled with
heartwarming stories and quotes that share the story of FFL and its clients. These fundraisers make up
about 13% of the year’s income but are a very good way of staying connected to the community and
increasing their funding.
Social Media/Advertising
FFL has recently started to use social media as a medium for bringing awareness to the organization.
Some of the social media include Facebook, Twitter, email newsletters, and YouTube videos, where the
public can follow their activities and events. Most of the clients hear about FFL through word of mouth,
however, as most of their target audience is not in the “technological age.”. The blog on the website is
well kept up, but FFL is currently seeking to utilize social media to further share presentations and their
overhaul of brochures. They see that maintaining up to date profiles for these social networks will help
get information out to volunteers such as college students who use social media every day.
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Discussion
Through our research, we have found that Friends for Life is a well-established organization that is
taking action in implementing its values in the Texas community. By serving the most neglected people
in the Texas counties through the help of numerous volunteers, FFL has been able to establish several
programs that target the quality of life for the elderly and people with disabilities. Through increased
funding opportunities by the state government and other grants, FFL has been a growing organization
seeking to reach out to the other counties in Texas. The value FFL places on improving the lives of the
people in need through small but practical and consistent steps are seen through their Guardianship
programs and Adult Day Care facilities. While FFL has actively and efficiently established various
programs with the limited budget and number of volunteers and staff members they had, a few FFL’s
vital needs could be found through analysis of the integrated findings we gathered from the various
research methods we used.
Although FFL has been using various means to bring awareness of the organization, we have found that
there is still a great need for expanding its marketing to the communities. Many resources and good
programs have been made that has attracted many of the people who sought assistance in those areas,
and FFL hosted many events that encouraged the community to interact with the people. However
there are still a lot of people who do not know about the organization’s existence and work being done
in Texas because most of the staff workers are too busy working and helping the people, neglecting the
importance aspect of the social media in spreading the word to the general public. FFL is currently
seeking to find a way to inform the people who might be willing to support their work.
As FFL is planning to expand its guardianship program and the Adult day care that is reaching its
maximum number, there is an important demand for more volunteers to work and interact with the
people. One of the goals of the organization is to have one volunteer for every client for the
guardianship program, being the eyes and ears of the staff members and caregivers. Having 1-on-1
interactions helps meet the needs of individual clients. When talking initially it was mentioned that they
would like to have someone to read to people, someone to plant with them in a garden (that would
need to be built), and someone for basic companionship for things like hospital visits.
Research Proposed to Address Need
The main concern we will address is the need to bring awareness of the organization to the public
community. Meeting this need will provide more volunteers and more opportunities to satisfy the
specific needs of the individual people who need care. By researching about the various actions other
non-profit organizations used in overcoming their struggles, we will present several means in improving
the marketing strategies FFL can use. Our research will provide FFL with the resources and
recommendations in meeting their own needs. Introducing the organization to the people who may be
interested in supporting FFL’s work will help FFL serve the neglected people in the Waco community.
After research and speaking with staff from Friends for Life, our team alongside our partner has
determined that marketing is the aspect that has thus far been pushed to the side. Because it has to this
point been no one person’s explicit job, informing the public about their mission and services seldom
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happens. In light of this, we propose that Friends for Life use Baylor processes already established to
work to gain consistent volunteers.
We recommend utilizing Baylor as a resource for finding people with their own transportation and
consistent schedules to volunteer. The idea is to work with systems already in place at Baylor to accrue
volunteers. It can be basic things like presenting at chapel and getting on the Student Horizon Email. Or
it can be getting connected with Baylor School of Social Work (perhaps specifically with professors who
teach the gerontology class) or School of Sociology.
When trying to come up with what we would recommend, we considered what would work with their
current strengths. Both Inez Russell and Casey Moore are used to doing presentations. So either
presenting at chapel or maybe going and talking to a class in either department (SW or S) would play to
their strengths. Also, both of those options link them up with students who are more likely to become
invested in the organization. Win-win students get practical interactions in an environment they could
potentially be working in someday, and organization gets volunteers who have a want to be consistent
and use what they learn.
References
"Waco, Texas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco,_Texas>.
Appendix
Appendix A: Friends for Life Cook Book
Appendix B and C: Stats and number brochure
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Appendix A: Friends for Life Cook Book
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Appendix B: Front of Annual Report Brochure
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Appendix C: Back of Annual Report Brochure