FAQ / Tech Library

All TIP villagers are asked to disclose their Covid vaccination status. We do not ask for or keep any proof of your vaccination, and we don't keep track of booster status or dates of vaccination. All TIP volunteers who provide in-person services to villagers are required to be fully vaccinated (one dose of J&J vaccine or two doses of Moderna or Pfizer mrna vaccine). Villagers requesting services are not required to be vaccinated, but they are required to state whether they are or are not fully vaccinated. Volunteers have complete discretion to accept or decline to provide services based on the villager's vaccination status (or any other reason).

TIP asks both the villager requesting services and the village volunteer providing services to wear a mask during all in-person services. All parties are expected to respect the wishes of anyone involved with the service to wear a mask at any time. If a Villager is not feeling well, the service should be cancelled for the protection of all. 

There is never any charge to Carolina Preserve residents for services provided by TIP, and there are no dues or annual fees required. We ask all CP residents to consider making  a voluntary tax-deductible donation to TIP to help defray operating expenses. You do not have to donate or volunteer to request services.

Thriving in Place is a volunteer organization comprised of residents of the Carolina Preserve community in Cary, North Carolina, to serve CP residents. You must be a resident (not necessarily a homeowner) in Carolina Preserve to be a Villager of Thriving in Place, to request services and/or to provide services to other CP residents as a volunteer.

Transportation – We will take you to medical, dental, or business appointments, such as to the bank or post office. We do not drive to/from the airport, as there are drivers (including some CP residents) who can take you for a very reasonable cost. 

Light Home Maintenance – This includes small handyman services such as changing light bulbs, organizing summer/winter clothing or deck furniture and changing smoke detector batteries.  One volunteer assembled a bookshelf and another relocated a patio umbrella.

Selected Technical Support – Having trouble understanding your TV remote or your new printer?  Need a refresher on how to use a web browser?  How about that fancy new smart phone? We’ll help with these and other modest technical or IT questions. We have experts on PCs and Macs, internet and social media.

Friendly Check-In – We provide phone or email well-being check-ins for members, or occasional friendly visits. Note that these are occasional or temporary check-ins, not a permanent recurring service.

Equipment Loans – We maintain a list of members who have certain durable medical equipment that they are willing to loan to a neighbor on a temporary basis. Examples include crutches, walker, wheelchair, boot/ankle/knee brace, etc. TIP does not maintain an inventory of this equipment; we just put the member needing the equipment in touch with someone who has the requested equipment, and they determine the details of the loan.

A few things we won’t do – Emergency transport to a hospital or urgent care center (call 911 instead). Anything requiring a license other than for driving, such as plumbing or electrical work.  Any handyman chore that takes more than about 2 hours.  Anything that involves personal or medical care, such as bathing, dressing or feeding, or giving medications.  Anything requiring a fiduciary relationship, such as writing checks.

The easiest way is to call the office at 919-588-4748.  Just explain what you need. The phone number is monitored from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. It is never answered directly but always goes to voice mail.  Be sure to include a detailed description of what you need for a home request or where and when you need to go for an appointment.  Make sure you give your name clearly. We will get back to you as soon as possible, usually the same day but no later than the end of the next business day. 

Or, you may send an email to thriving@tipvillage.org with your request. Your email will be answered by the end of the next business day (usually sooner).

To begin the process of joining our Village you can sign up online How to Join or call the office at 919-588-4748. We will verify your residency in Carolina Preserve and process your request to become a Villager within two business days.

We usually need about a week to fill a service request.  If this is an medical appointment that has just been arranged we can try to accommodate a shorter period - but there are no guarantees.  

You should usually tell us about medical appointments as soon as you make them.  Even an appointment made a year in advance is fine to put on our calendar.

It is best if we know about your requests as far in advance as possible.  If you have a series of medical appointments at fixed times, tell us about them as soon as you know.  If you are requesting a regularly scheduled service, such as a ride to physical therapy Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next four weeks, you can make this request just once. You do not need to call us back unless something changes.  For example, if there is a holiday on one Monday and your appointment is moved to Tuesday, just let us know about that one change as soon as you know. 

Thriving in Place always needs more volunteers to serve all the CP residents who want to join TIP.  All volunteers must be residents of Carolina Preserve and registered TIP villagers, and they must attend a Volunteer Orientation before being asked to provide services.

You can sign up to become a TIP villager by clicking here.  How to Join 

You can begin the process to become a volunteer by clicking here. Online Volunteer Application

As an all-volunteer village we rely on the skills and enthusiasm of volunteers to run TIP. The "dispatchers" who staff our (virtual) office are the voice of TIP when a villager calls with a request for information or a service.  We can always use more dispatchers.  If you have skills with outreach, particularly meeting with groups as a Village ambassador, we can use your help. We can also always use volunteers who have website skills, fundraising skills and experience with non-profit organizations (Board of Director skills).