The small and large ways that people look out for one another in a big city sometimes go unnoticed. But these efforts save lives and help make our city feel like a realy community.

Case in point. In a co-op apartment building in Park Slope,  a 77-year old man I’ll call Mike, lives in a small rent-controlled apartment, which he has occupied for 40 years.

Mike has diabetes and in the last year his health has taken a turn for the worse. My friend who lives in the building, noticed the way his shoulders looked bony and sharp through his shirt and asked him  if he was okay. "They don’t know what’s the matter with me," he told her. "But I can’t eat. Sometimes I go over to Methodist and have lunch in their cafeteria."

For a few days my friend brought him plates of roast chicken and spagetti. "Don’t bring too much," he said. "My refrigerator is broken."

My friend then decided to contact Meals on Wheels. Mike now gets one hot meal a day delivered Monday through Friday.

The Department of the Aged, which administers Meals on Wheels, assigned Mike’s case to the Prospect Hill Senior Center (PHSC) on Prospect Avenue. 

Last week, the case supervisor from PHSC called my friend to say that Mike wasn’t answering his door when his food was delivered.  "Is there a problem with him?" she said. "Why don’t you knock on his door."

My friend went upstairs and knocked on his door but there was no answer. She left a note that said "I’ve got your food."

The next day the note was still on the door. She asked the super if he had Mike’s keys but he didn’t. He did have the keys to the apartment two floors below Mike’s and climbed up to his apartment on the fire escape in a teeming rain.

Mike wasn’t there.

My friend called the case worker at the Prospect Hill Senior Center, who suggested that she call the local hospitals. "Don’t call the police yet," she advised. "If they don’t have a key they will just break the door down. And Mike doesn’t need that on top of everything else."

A call to Methodist Hospital revealed that Mike was there. However, he didn’t have  phone service in the room. My friend was unable to find out how he got there and why.

Another man in the building who I’ll call Dave has also been looking out for Mike. He put a up a note near the elevator in the lobby that said:

Concerned neighbors: Mike is at Methodist Hospital. He would appreciate visitors. He likes his coffee light with Sweet and Low.

Dave later informed my friend that Mike had taken a fall and had a gash on his head. Another neighbor had taken him to the hosptial and waited with him there for six hours. My friend recognized that there needed to be more communication between the people in the building who were making efforts on behalf of Mike.

Mike is back home. But he’d probably still appreciate visitors. And he likes his coffee light with Sweet and Low.