Just a few months ago, Barbara was in so much pain that she couldn’t walk.

Alone and without family locally, she feared she’d lose everything – her independence, her home, even her beloved cat, Lucy.

But today, she sits safely in her Peterborough apartment, Lucy perched on the back of the couch, baking in the warm sunlight. She finishes an email to a friend and closes her laptop, smiling in disbelief.

“I can’t believe that I found a program like this here,” she says. “I have friends under a lot of stress in other parts of the country. They’re sitting at home isolated, they’re sick, and they can’t find anyone to help them.”

Thanks to you, and the compassionate volunteers of Monadnock at Home, Barbara knows she’ll never face that fear alone again.

A Long Road of Illness and Independence

Barbara spent years working as a psychotherapist near Philadelphia. But in her 40s, a series of serious health challenges – chronic diseases, viral infections and cancer – began to take their toll.

“I had many viruses and too much chemotherapy,” she says. “My body just never recovered after all these years of being sick. I’m chronically fatigued.”

Eventually, she moved to New England to be near family in Massachusetts, and in 2014, she settled in Peterborough. It was there that she first learned about Monadnock at Home, a Catholic Charities NH program that helps older adults live independently at home and remain connected to their communities.

But, always independent, she resisted the idea of getting help.

“I thought I could manage on my own,” she admits. “I’ve always been counter-dependent – I have trouble asking for help.”

Then came November of 2024, when Barbara’s health took a sudden, terrifying turn.

The Breaking Point

Spinal stenosis with a pinched nerve left her in excruciating pain, so severe she could barely think straight, let alone walk.

“It’s hard to function with that much pain,” she recalls. “I couldn’t walk and I have no one to help. I was terrified that I’d have to go to long-term nursing care and give up my apartment – and my Lucy.”

Already weakened by years of illness, Barbara faced the unthinkable: losing her independence, the home she loved, and the simple comforts of daily life.

“As you age, so many things slip away – friends, family and the ability to do the things you once could,” she says. “You really want to have something you can keep. That’s why staying at home means everything.”

Alone and out of options, she remembered Monadnock at Home, and reached for her phone.

Not Alone After All

Barbara wasn’t sure what to expect when the first volunteers from Monadnock at Home showed up. She was nervous about letting people in, but the moment the local mother and her daughter stepped through the door, everything changed.

“They were so cheerful, just happy people,” she remembers. “They moved my furniture to make things easier for me, and they even brought me Christmas cookies.”

What began as an anxious moment quickly became something more – a sense of relief and a connection Barbara hadn’t felt in a long time.

And it was only possible because of you.

Your support made sure someone was there to answer Barbara’s call. To show up. To bring kindness, mobility aids, and moments of genuine joy into her home, when she needed it most.

“Everyone I’ve met through Monadnock at Home knows how to help and I really feel that they love being able to help,” she says.

Volunteers assisted Barbara by delivering her groceries, picking up prescriptions, and even assembling a shower chair and walker to support her mobility and safety. Monadnock at Home also referred her to a trusted house cleaner, who has become a welcome source of company. And thanks to transportation services, she’s able to safely get to the doctor and to physical therapy.

“They have saved my life and saved me from having to give up my home.”

Healing, with Gratitude

Barbara still lives with chronic illness. The pain hasn’t vanished, and there are good days and hard ones. But now, she knows she doesn’t have to face it alone.

Knowing Monadnock at Home is just a phone call away brings her deep comfort, a safety net made possible by people like you.

“It’s hard to get old, and a service like this is so badly needed,” she says. “We’re so lucky to have it, especially in a rural area, and I thank the donors for making this possible. Monadnock at Home is an amazing thing – it’s a lifesaver.”

Thanks to your generosity, Barbara gets to remain where she feels most at peace: in her home, with Lucy curled up nearby, her dignity intact, and her independence still in her hands.