Each year, our Good Neighbor Awards honor some of the dedicated neighbors who volunteer their time to help seniors and people with disabilities get the resources and support they need to age and thrive in their own homes and neighborhoods. We are delighted to honor Judy as our 2019 Community Catalyst Good Neighbor Honoree.
“Community catalyst” describes Judy Goddess perfectly. She received her Good Neighbor Award for spearheading not one, but three projects.
Senior Beat
First, she developed the reporting project, providing articles and a column on seniors in neighborhood newspapers. She recruited two other reporters through the CLC ReServe program, and the venture grew into an online magazine for older adults called Senior Beat.
Always Active
Next, Judy organized an Always Active class in her own neighborhood which has become the Inner Sunset Community Connector Program. As she walks to class, she sees people lined up early to ensure a place.
Third Project
Then, the San Francisco Friends School called CLC looking for seniors who their 5th grade students could interview. Judy is particularly fond of mixed generation projects so she set up a program with this Quaker school.
When asked where she gets her energy, Judy says, “I love meeting people, especially the seniors. They’re making such interesting lives for themselves and are so resilient. I’m really inspired by them.”