WHY WE DO IT | Meet Nancy
by Nancy Bruce
If one is smart and curiosity keeps you open to creative adventures, Life can take you on a rich journey. If you remain open (maybe even a bit quixotic), have a bit of good fortune, and do your best to enjoy the ride, you just may end up right where you belong. At 76 and after many miles traveled, I found that I belong at Senior Services.
Most of my education and adult work life has been spent in creative areas: corporate textile and apparel design, illustration, teaching art classes, writing, and not-so-secretly wishing I could be an actor-singer on Broadway! Although textile and apparel design taught me well, they didn’t feed my soul.
All the time I was fighting for survival in competitive, time-crunch fashion industries, I wanted to do something else, something that would add to the quality of life for others, so I enrolled in the Master’s in Teaching program at Salem College. During grad school, I became ill and had to drop that plan.
Well! There are sometimes tiny moments of connection that send your life off into a direction you had not anticipated, trained for, or even thought about, but those moments often lead to some of the best experiences, people, and purpose.
As I got healthier, I needed to find work to supplement my Social Security income. I met a woman at a job fair who later connected me to the Urban League’s Seniors Job Program, which was a perfect fit. They set me up with a part-time job at the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (home of the stunning International Black Theatre Festival). Everything was going well… and then COVID disrupted my life and the entire world’s lives and brought my journey with the Repertory Company to its end.
They say, when one door closes, another opens up. Well, for me it opened wide, and I happily walked into my next Urban League assignment at Senior Services, where I found a meaningful position that allowed me to use my brain, creativity, and maybe tap into my caring side. Still under the wing of the Urban League, I became an assistant in the Communication and Engagement department, fielding multiple diverse assignments that were sometimes challenging, yet also purpose-filled and fun! When my Urban League assignment ended, I was hired directly.
Now, my days are focused on tasks designed to engage the community and help more people get to know Senior Services and its programs that serve older adults in Forsyth County. Working alongside talented, thoughtful people makes the work I do even more meaningful. I feel welcome and appreciated as an important member of a team. I feel a sense of purpose knowing that the work I’m performing helps to provide compassionate care to people in my age group: doing research, writing stories, keeping track of volunteer participation, and helping with special projects. What a delightful contrast to my former corporate life! (There are no anger-fueled “fashion emergencies” at this organization!)
As an older adult, I am acutely aware of the challenges and changes that aging presents. I am lucky to be aging in relatively good health. I am also aware that many older adults have not been so fortunate and need a lot more support in their daily lives. Senior Services exists solely to help them; its mission and core values inspire all who work here, creating a grace-filled and compassionate environment, which drives an incredibly large and diverse community of volunteers and supporters, helping older folks to age with the dignity they deserve.
I am proud and pleased to contribute to this mission and will continue to do so for as long as I can. I’m also happy and grateful to know this organization is here to provide help to me, should I need it. I feel that what I contribute to Senior Services has a positive impact on my coworkers and the people we serve. Being a part of this team adds purpose to my life and helps keep me from a feeling of fading into the woodwork at home. This organization gives me hope; the people who work here exemplify what is best in humans.
I can say from personal experience, if you’re looking for a way to help others in your retirement, come see us! There is much to do; the need for the agency’s services is growing exponentially, and we rely on our volunteers to make our community better for older adults.
One simple thing that tells me I am in the right place (finally), is that every time I pull into the Senior Services parking lot, I feel a peace that assures me this is a place where caring lives, and it is a home for me.
