FREE
I N
F O C U S
VOL.17, NO.9
F O R
P E O P L E
O V E R
More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore
Help from healthcare students
SEPTEMBER 2020
I N S I D E …
COURTESY OF LORI'S HANDS
By Ivey Noojin In 2009, two college roommates, Sarah LaFave and Liz Bonomo, co-founded a volunteer group called Lori’s Hands. LaFave’s mother, Lori, had passed away from breast cancer while LaFave was in high school, and the nursing major wanted to make a difference within her community at the University of Delaware. From personal experience “I had seen how chronic illness could impact a family’s day-to-day life,” she said. The group’s college-age volunteers helped those with chronic illnesses by shopping for groceries, helping fill out forms, folding laundry, sweeping the floors, mowing the lawn and more. Eleven years later, with $200,000 of grant funding, Lori’s Hands is expanding into Baltimore. LaFave and co-founder Bonomo are currently located at Johns Hopkins University, with LaFave completing a Ph.D. program and Bonomo working in infectious disease research. “Baltimore has faced a lot of social justice and public health issues, and it feels like a privilege to be addressing some of those [through Lori’s Hands],” LaFave said. In July, Community Care Corps, a national cooperative that supports organizations that provide non-medical assistance to seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers, awarded $23 million in grants to 183 organizations. Lori’s Hands’ Baltimore program was one of two recipients based in Maryland.
5 0
L E I S U R E & T R AV E L
Sardines and Steinbeck once powered the still vibrant seaside city of Monterey, California; plus, French and Dutch cultures coexist on the Caribbean island of St. Martin page 18
ARTS & STYLE
Pikesville poet fulfills his father’s wish with the publication of his first book page 23
From student club to nonprofit The idea for Lori’s Hands struck LaFave one day during her sophomore year, as Bonomo described it. “She was walking down the green [on campus], and it just sort of suddenly occurred to her that college students have these odd schedules with pockets of time they could be using the help the community,” Bonomo recalled. Although Bonomo was studying foreign languages and literature, she decided to join her roommate’s venture. Together, they created a student volunteer club and ran it for the rest of their undergraduate years. After they graduated from University of Delaware, the two, along with some other friends, developed a service-learning
Smiles can bridge the generation gap. Through a nonprofit, college students volunteer to help people with chronic illnesses, often older adults. Lori’s Hands, which started on a campus in Delaware more than a decade ago, has expanded to Baltimore.
course for the university that included classwork in healthcare as well as handson volunteer experience. In 2012, LaFave taught the course. Also that year, LaFave and Bonomo decided to incorporate Lori’s Hands as a nonprofit, which enabled them to apply for grants and have a more consistent volunteer base and cash flow. By 2017, they wanted to professionalize the organization, and hired a full-time director, Maggie Ratnayake. “I was stepping
into an already well-oiled machine,” Ratnayake said. So, she focused on expanding the nonprofit. In three years, she has helped double Lori’s Hands’ client and volunteer bases. “What we would love to see is that this expansion of Lori’s Hands into Baltimore is just the start,” she said. “As aging in place is expensive, we know that there is a need in the community for our services.” See LORI’S HANDS, page 24
FITNESS & HEALTH k Red light may improve vision k How to strengthen your core k Foods for better sleep
4
LAW & MONEY k Need financial help? k Re-evaluate spending habits k Free legal advice hotline
13
ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
27
PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE