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7 selections of fresh vegetables
6 selections of
fresh fruits
7 varieties of
frozen meats
5 bags of
non-perishables
1 bag of paper
products and personal care items
Gifts from a Secret Pal
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The world can be a frightening place to a senior
citizen. When we’re young our minds are sharp, our bodies are fit, and we
are ready to take on life’s challenges with confidence. The elderly, though,
may not understand the world they have found themselves living in; a world
which has changed
significantly since they were at their peak capabilities. They find their
bodies becoming more and more frail, their friends and family often becoming
more and more distant. In some cases they may find themselves forgetting
things they could swear they used to know, or unable to perform tasks that,
until recently, they performed with ease. All this can be terrifying to
someone who feels they have no one to protect them. When we first met 81
year old Antoinette in 2001 our hearts truly went out to her. She had many
health problems which made life difficult for her. Since then, her condition
has gotten steadily worse, which has only served to make us all the more
determined to continue to bring comfort into her life. We are thankful to
you, for joining with us to help Antoinette in her winter years, and we
wanted to update you on her current condition.
As you know, Antoinette
was added to our Senior Citizen Project along with her husband, Carmel. In
their younger days, Carmel owned a trucking company and worked hard for
Antoinette and his family. Health problems forced him out of his job,
however, and soon Carmel and Antoinette were having trouble affording all of
the medication they needed to take. They actually spent $600 a month when we
first met them just to buy pills! Sadly, Carmel passed away a little over
two years ago. Since then, Antoinette has been depressed, lonely and scared.
She says that telemarketers still call their home asking for him all the
time and it makes her sad to have to tell them that he has passed on.
Sometimes living alone makes her feel so scared and lonely that she locks
herself in her room for long periods of time.
Health problems are still
a major concern for Antoinette as well. She suffers from osteoarthritis
which causes her to fall constantly. She has bruised her nose and face
falling, saying “I’m black and blue all over!” One time she fell and was on
the floor for over an hour before anyone found her. She used to belong to a
church group who made crafts for veterans and young people in need, but pain
in her hands has rendered her unable to continue to knit blankets like she
used to. On top of all of this, she has been in the hospital three times in
the last year for problems with her heart, including a heart attack! Her
income of $1100 a month is surely not enough to cover all her expenses,
which include insurance, utilities and medical bills.
There is some good news
for Antoinette, however. We have been able to get her free eyeglasses
through Lenscrafters. Even more importantly, a generous donor saw our senior
wish list and offered to get her a Lifelink emergency button. Now, she need
not live in fear, like she used to, that no one would know if she fell and
could not get to the telephone. She also has no fear about where her next
meal will come from. She loves receiving the fresh fruits and vegetables
which are delivered to her door each month from HSP. Just think, that
because of your help, the fear which has consumed Antoinette since her
husband passed on is becoming a thing of the past. Together, we can continue
to find ways to bring comfort into her troubled life!
Things to Remember about Antoinette:
• Antoinette’s birthday is April 11, 1923
• She likes pie, cake, bratwurst and Chinese food
• Her monthly income is $1,100
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