Weston Organization Aims to Help Struggling Neighbors

Nobody navigates the turbulent times of life without help. A new Weston organization is aiming to be a helping hand to residents.

Neighbor Brigade, a Weston-based chapter of its larger umbrella group, has launched in town with the mission of having volunteers respond to requests for household needs. The group is hoping to help residents facing medical or other life struggles.

"We are literally just starting in Weston," Neighbor Brigade chapter co-leader Betsy Gibson told Weston Patch. “We want to continue this growth throughout New England. I really hope the Weston chapter will be a strong chapter. We are a close knit town.”

The non-profit organization has officially launched but has not yet received any requests, according to Gibson, of Weston. So far, the group has recruited 40 volunteers but is waiting for a service request, which can be made through its website. Annise Hoaglund works with Gibson as the other leader of the chapter. 

The group can fill requests ranging from delivering meals to driving residents to medical appointments, Gibson said. The service is free and volunteers live in Weston, she said. 

In the age of security and privacy concerns, Neighbor Brigade is also aiming to protect service requesters’ privacy and screen volunteers. Gibson said the group runs background checks on volunteers, including sex offender checks. Also, the group does not disclose the identities of individuals who request help, Gibson said.

The group is part of the larger Neighbor Brigade organization, which has chapters throughout Massachusetts, according to a press release. The umbrella organization provides some funding to the local chapter while volunteers shoulder some of the costs of the requests they fill, Gibson said. The group has also done some fundraising, but part of that will go to the umbrella organization, Gibson said.

For Gibson, getting involved in Neighbor Brigade helped her reconnect with her roots as a volunteer. Gibson, a former candy striper, said she joined the group after facing health issues. She said she wanted to help people facing similar struggles. 

"What I have learned from being so down and out ... is that when you have a medical crisis, it takes a ton of time and energy,"  Gibson said. 

Hopefully, Neighbor Brigade can ease that burden.