Our Ongoing Support 

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The relationships that Do For One facilitates are organic and mutual. Yet the uniqueness of the pairing – one person with greater dependence on another – invites challenges that can be unforeseen. For example, Advocates might not know how to navigate the Human Service system their Partner already receives support from.

Questions arise:

How might I approach arranging accessible, reliable transportation?

How can quality time with my partner be integrated into my busy life?

What are ways I can better understand the way my partner communicates? 

Do For One remains available for ongoing support, brainstorming, developing realistic strategies for accomplishing goals, and providing advice as Advocates define roles and boundaries in the relationship. Although our support is customized to the nature of your involvement, we want to provide you with a clear idea for what to expect from us. 

Timeline For Support: 

  1. You will be provided with a Relationship Support Coordinator. This is your go-to contact as questions or insights arise. While we assign a specific coordinator to each match, the Do For One Staff team (Andrew, Ben, & Jane) are in constant communication about supporting relationships and are happy to support you together if and when it is appropriate or helpful. 

  2. Approximately 1-3 weeks after your match date, your coordinator will reach out to you to see how things are unfolding with your Partner. Within the first 2-3 months, your coordinator will also reach out to schedule a coffee, Facetime, or zoom conversation. This is to create a space for you to share about how the relationship is going and to express any celebrations, concerns, or questions you may have. 

  3. From there, you and your coordinator can begin customizing what kind of support you need. Every relationship is different. You may decide to set up a recurring meeting every month or plan to touch base as needed (via email, text, for coffee, or calls). 

  4. As the relationship starts to “take on a life of its own,” staff support will generally become less frequent. For example, some Advocates have been matched over 2 years now and staff reaches out to them a few times a year and offers opportunities to connect at community gatherings, our annual Christmas celebration, and training sessions.

  5. Many Advocates/Partners go through highs and lows together. For example, you may have initially been introduced as “friends who cook together,” but there may come a time that your Partner is dealing with a housing issue, a medical issue, a significant loss in the family, etc. 

    1. When challenges or crises arise, your Relationship Support Coordinator will be available to provide support. It is also important that you reach out to Staff if you are feeling overwhelmed / in need of support as Staff may not be aware. 

    2. Please note that Do For One Staff will not DO the advocacy FOR you (i.e visit your Partner in the hospital on your behalf, give your Partner a ride to an appointment, etc.), but we WILL be able to provide guidance, brainstorming help, relevant resources, or prayer as the situation calls for. 

  6. Do For One staff will share relevant readings and tools with you when specific questions arise. Do For One may organize optional group learning sessions called Advocate Forums in order to discuss more complex issues such as supporting a partner to find a job, better housing, or a healthy social group. 

  7. In the scenario that there is another advocate in our network who has navigated challenges similar to ones that you may encounter, staff may connect you with a more seasoned advocate for supportive conversations as well if you are interested. 

Our Request: Remain Communicative 

Outlined above are all the ways that Do For One staff will commit to supporting you over time. In return, we trust and hope that you will remain communicative with us. 

While we certainly do not expect (or even want!) you to update us every time you spend time with your Partner, we do appreciate updates from you when we reach out to ask how things are going. For example, some Advocates reach out to us first when their Partner is going through a crisis such as hospitalization, or financial troubles so that staff can pray and provide guidance if necessary. 

We also request that Advocates will share major life updates with staff that may affect your relationship with your Partner. 

For example: 

  • Plans to move away from NYC 

  • Plans to apply to schools or jobs with a high likelihood of moving away

  • Any life transitions that may make you unavailable to your Partner for a long time (i.e health or family crisis, having a baby, etc.) 

Thank you in advance for keeping in touch with us regularly. It helps us understand how we can support you and your partner better.