Bobbi Gordon at the podium speaking
Gloria Bible
When the husband of Quail Creek resident Bobbi Gordon entered hospice care in May of 2018, Bobbi realized she had no idea how to prepare for the inevitable change in her life. She eventually found a helpful checklist by UMassFive College Federal Credit Union: “Life Events: What to Do When a Loved One Dies.”
Two months later, Pat Neel, then president of The Women of Quail Creek (TWOQC), suggested Bobbi create a program for new widows based on that checklist. Bobbi recruited a few members and formed a committee to identify information helpful for new widows. After several months of development, a proposal was submitted and approved by TWOQC’s Executive Board for the new committee: YANA (You Are Not Alone).
Then in 2024, another Quail Creek resident, Gary Reed, responding to an obvious need to increase outreach beyond widows, suggested the formation of a new group to serve all Quail Creek residents who lost a partner or spouse. In June of that year, Partners Losing Partners Outreach (PLPO) was established to fulfill that mission.
Admittedly, making “final” preparations is a difficult topic for many people. However, addressing this in advance can greatly reduce the amount of stress already inherent in such a life-changing event. To that end, PLPO now serves not only surviving spouses or partners, but also has expanded its mission to help Quail Creek residents know what they should do to have things in order before someone passes.
Following an information-oriented seminar last November, PLPO identified the need for a more hands-on workshop to prepare a plan that can help family, companion caregivers, and others to ensure all affairs are in order. This process can be overwhelming, but having a plan to prepare in advance can reduce the unavoidable stress that comes when someone does pass.
To address this, PLPO held a second event in March. The workshop, entitled “Beginning with the End in Mind,” defined “the End” as development of a working plan for document organization and maintenance. Four main document categories were identified: Legal, Financial, Personal, and Miscellaneous.
Guided by PLPO workshop leaders Bobbi Gordon, Gary Reed, Julie Sherwood, and Armando Ojeda, participants began laying the foundation for their individual plans using the provided worksheets. Emphasis was placed on keeping this information accessible and current, since it greatly reduces stress when these documents are needed.
Bobbi Gordon could not have anticipated seven years ago that her personal struggle and search for support would grow into such a vital organization that provides information and resource outreach to surviving spouses/partners/companions and caregivers of ill family members.
To further demonstrate this point, consider these statistics: 79 ladies received outreach under TWOQC’s YANA auspices; thus far, PLPO has served 33 members of the Quail Creek community.