When our staff visited Elders in To'hajiilee, they stepped lightly into John's home, uncertain whether he was there.

John goes to eat five days a week at the To'hajiilee Senior Center but on this day our Program Partner (who also volunteers at the Senior Center) asked him not to go to the center for lunch — but to "stay home and wait for a man." So John did.

This is evidence of the implicit trust the Elders have with their CHRs (Community Health Reps) and Senior Center staff. 

A few hours later, sure enough, a man pulled up — and to John's surprise, with a truckload of firewood for him! John went outside immediately to look at the wood and asked the vendor to put it inside his "wood shed." The shed wasn't much, but good enough to help keep his wood dry and block the wind. His nephew lives next door and helps John carry in the firewood and even cooks John's breakfast.

John is elderly and lives alone. He is very feeble but still walks with a cane. Before we left, he spoke to us in English: "I am very thankful for the wood."

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