Mary Doyle has lived in her Boulder home since 1984. Like many long-time homeowners in the county, she has seen her home grow greatly in value, but Doyle won’t see the benefits unless she moves to a less expensive area.
Median housing prices have risen all over the county, but the trend is particularly evident in Boulder where prices rose nearly $100,000 between 2015 and 2016. More than half of Boulder’s housing stock is in single family homes, where many of the city’s seniors hope and plan to age in place.
The situation was brought home to Doyle a few years ago when the now-63 year old had to have four joint replacements. Unable to take care of her yard, she called Boulder County CareConnect.
She was grateful for the help.
“I thought ‘These people need a goodsized donation, but I don’t have the money to contribute,’” she said. “Living in a town with a fairly high income, I don’t have that income.”
She decided to volunteer, just as she had donated time to her daughter’s school and her church when she was younger. Doyle had been a bookkeeper since she was 19 and had her own business for 17 years, but was no longer able to sit for more than 40 hours a week. She began working in the CareConnect office.
While many seniors such as Doyle will need services as the population continues to age, some, also like Doyle, will be able to volunteer their time.
“We have volunteers all the way up into their 90s,” said Chrysti Britt, CareConnect Interim Executive Director.
Doyle recently joined the group’s board of directors, while continuing to work as a freelance writer.
“I’m a firm believer in volunteering,” Doyle said. “I think the world cannot exist without us helping each other.”
