Befriender Match Spotlight
Meet Joe and Bailey
When Bailey first met Joe six months ago, he wasn’t expecting much from the match. Joe lives far out of town and it was hard to find someone who could consistently visit Joe. At 80 years old, Joe had come to terms with his macular degeneration limiting what he could do, and he didn’t expect much from Bailey. He didn’t think she wouldn’t stick around. What he didn’t count on was Bailey’s persistence.
Bailey, however, saw something more in Joe: decades of experience, knowledge, and a steady hand that simply needed a spark. During one visit, she asked him what brought him joy. At first, Joe couldn’t think of anything, but after a pause, he remembered how much he used to enjoy building model cars.
Fast forward to today, Joe and Bailey have become a true dream team. Recently, they built a model 1957 Chevy together—a project that brought out Joe’s incredible skills and Bailey’s enthusiastic support (and eyesight). The joy on Joe’s face as they worked was unmistakable.
Now, when Bailey arrives, Joe lights up. He even gets up to hug her goodbye, a small gesture that speaks volumes about how far they’ve come. It’s clear that Bailey has carved out a place in his heart, helping him rediscover pieces of himself he thought were long gone.
Together, they’ve shown that sometimes all it takes to rebuild a little joy is patience, a shared project, and the willingness to stick around.
