Five years ago, Thomas Benbow, now 51, was living in a second-floor apartment in a building without an elevator or chairlift.

Wheelchair-reliant since a stroke at the age of 28, Thomas had difficulty cleaning, managing his finances, and caring for himself and his home. He had to slide down the stairs of his building in order to leave for doctors' appointments. He could not use the bathtub without risking his life.

That is, until the day he found a telephone number for Mystic Valley Elder Services.

"I called and I thought, well, worst they can say is no. I was really used to hearing 'no,'" says Thomas. "For years, whenever I asked anyone for help the answer was 'no,' or 'come back later,' or 'we'll call you.' Mystic Valley Elder Services was the first place where the answer was 'yes.' Dialing that number led me to this life."

Within a few days of his initial telephone call, Thomas welcomed a case manager into his home to discuss what he needed and what was difficult for him, and to have a conversation about solutions.

"After that first conversation, she said, 'Don't worry,' to me. And in no time, I had a man come to my home to do housecleaning, I was getting Meals on Wheels, they were putting in a chair lift. I know that when Mystic Valley Elder Services says don't worry, they mean it. They proved that."

Thomas, originally from Philadelphia, now lives in Malden. "This is my city now," he says. "I feel a tie to this place. I don't like to travel too far." Having a strong relationship with his community is critical for Thomas. He spends much of his day at his kitchen window, greeting his neighbors and watching the bustle of the city. But the fact that he can do that from within his own home is crucial. Thomas prizes his privacy and his independence.

"I want to live in my city. I want to live in my home. That's why the work of my team at Mystic Valley Elder Services is such a gift. They make this life possible."

When Thomas talks about the team of four Mystic Valley Elder Services staff members who work with him, he refers to them as family. With Meals on Wheels coming every weekday, housecleaning help several times a week, a Money Management volunteer coming in to help him manage his finances and pay his bills on time, and a case manager keeping tabs on whatever else Thomas might need, he sees someone from Mystic Valley Elder Services every single day.

"It would be unfair to point in just one or two directions in this home and say that Mystic Valley Elder Services was responsible. I have to wave my hand all around to be fair to everything that Mystic Valley Elder Services has done," says Thomas. He starts his list: his bed, which used to be too difficult for him to get into and out of; his bathroom, which is now equipped with an accessible commode; the front steps of his building, where a ramp was erected so that he could come and go when he wanted; the bottle of heart medication that his case manager makes sure is never empty; the tidy stack of letters waiting for his Money Management volunteer's arrival; his move from the second-floor apartment to a more accessible first-floor apartment in the building; even the coffeemaker, which replaced his former system of boiling water in a battered saucepan.

"If Mystic Valley Elder Services tells you something will happen," says Thomas, "it will. Make no mistake."

Before partnering with Mystic Valley Elder Services, Thomas described himself as angry and unwelcoming–a fact hard to believe when you're in the company of such a jovial, kind, and enthusiastic soul.

"I had a life before Mystic Valley Elder Services," says Thomas, "but it was a ragged one. I never smiled."

He opens his arms wide. "Look at me now," he says. "I'm smiling. That's Mystic Valley."