Dear Local Business Owner

I almost sent this, then thought I'd better show the internet first!

I was drafting an email to send to a local business owner, then I got cold feet and brought it here instead. :) I can’t remember the last time I felt nervous like this — worried if my idea is good, or if I’m losing my marbles. I usually try for things I know I can do — the certainty helps with the nerves. This is me trying to dive into the unknown, and my confidence is wavering. Oh what fun, to be a human dreaming!

So I need to read this as if a stranger wrote it to me. What would I think if I were a business owner and some anonymous internet stranger sends me this…? Well — what would you think?

Okay — so here it is so far:

Hi there!

My name is Jessie Hammersmith -- I'm a nurse (I don’t even want to mention my job) and also a resident of Lombard for almost 11 years. I’m writing (and feeling very self-conscious doing so) to ask about your experience opening a business in town. I have been working in healthcare for over 13 years and, pandemic aside, I'm feeling called to do more than “just” exist as a cog in the wheel. I am developing a plan that I believe will begin to fix a gigantic but silent to solve a growing problem in our community (wow, I might be embellishing a little here. You tell me). 

Working as a nurse in the hospital for the first 10 years of my career, I saw I have seen some of the most heartwarming and heart-breaking moments of my life. I have witnessed suffering, loneliness, isolation, mental illness, mental wellness, birth, death, and everything in-between. I now work in Home Health, which has been the epitome of nursing for me. I am at my apex. I am as far as I can see myself growing in (my profession). And in five years, I hope to help Lombard prepare to join together as a community to help each other out.

What do I mean?

Working in home health brings nurses, therapists, social workers, aides, chaplains into the homes of patients. When there's a need, Home Health is covered by most insurance. Folks with Medicare generally pay nothing out of pocket. It sounds perfect. And in a lot of ways, it is. But, like all things in Modern Healthcare, it has its flaws. Not my employer, but Modern American Healthcare as a whole (right now, in real life). 

The flaw, as I see it currently, is that Caregiver Services are not covered by traditional insurance. The out-of-pocket costs are not affordable to low-, middle-, or even upper-middle income people. “Affordable is subjective” --- is what my State Representative had to say. I don't disagree. That response told me I needed to be more specific. 

I’m gonna jump in here to say, I think this is long enough for an introductory email to a person I may or may not have met IRL before. So, instead of getting into the nitty gritty (see Alternate Ending), I might end it like this:

The plan is to open a Caregiver Cooperative called Gingko Lane somewhere near downtown Lombard by 2028. It will function like a daytime care center for older adults. We will offer on-site supervision, flexible scheduling (8-5, Monday-Friday), classes/lectures, and enrichment activities. We will welcome volunteers from the community to be trained and donate their time, skills, or resources to the Co-Op. Volunteer caregivers could include high school seniors, retirees, parents with older children, college students, remote workers, and more. Participants will need an identified Caregiver/Care Partner. Though this will initially start as on-site care, I see an opportunity to connect folks to resources beyond the brick & mortar.

And like a tree, it will only grow from there!

In closing, I thank you for making it this far in my introduction. I hope you’ll let me know if this sounds like something needed and feasible in our town. Once the new library opens we’re planning to host a community forum to seek input and gauge interest. I am continuing to draft the formal plan and will be sharing it on my Substack (blog), and I welcome your comments there or in real life.

I appreciate any input or insight you can offer!

Sincerely,

Jessie Hammersmith

Little Bean Boops

Alternate Ending (cut from the original)

Caregiver Services in our community, from a reputable agency, cost $30-35/hour for a caregiver in the home (granted, that's not how much they're paying the actual caregiver, that's how much the agency gets paid). 

Without taking a far wander off the main path, let's move now to my proposed solution: A Caregiver Cooperative. It is my goal by 2028 to see Gingko Lane Caregiver Co-Op come to life in Lombard. 

Why Lombard? Because I have witnessed the need first-hand and through stories. 

Why a Co-Op? Because human care should not be fully outsourced unless all other options have been exhausted. 

Why now? Because the Baby Boomer generation is only beginning to need more care outside of traditional American Healthcare. Older and disabled adults will need someone to do more than drop off groceries. They need humans. We need humans. To care for our bodies and our homes. We need humans to prepare healthy meals, assist with feeding, perform light housekeeping, provide comfort and dignity during bathing and toileting, remain patient and watchful. We need humans to care for our skin, hair, teeth, and nails. We need humans to provide for a safe environment, prevent falls, call for help, and open the door. 

There is already a need in our communities, and the demand has not yet reached its peak. 

So rather than sit idly by and watch this problem from a distance, I feel called to plan. And part of my plan is contacting local businesses in Lombard to learn what I can from their experience. And so here I am --- putting the call out: Does this sound like something that would fit in downtown Lombard? Do you know someone who would be available as a mentor during this process?

The End. Goodnight!

Love,

Jessie

For when I forget that nature knows what she’s doing