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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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Here at HSP we have the opportunity to meet so
many different seniors through our Senior Citizen Project. We hear their
stories and learn from their wisdom and feel privileged to be able to bring
hope to their lives. Many of our seniors have been through a great deal in
their lives and we feel honored to be able to share their stories with
donors like you who make our services possible. 73 year old Barbara has
lived a life full of ups and downs and has many stories to tell. We are so
grateful to you for empowering us to help her through her difficult winter
years, and we wanted to share some of this wonderful woman’s history with
you.
Barbara was born in the
south, but family problems forced her to move to Indiana to live with her
sisters. She had a troubled youth. She never knew her father, and says that
her step father was a very mean man. When she married, she moved to Chicago.
Her husband was a machinist and they needed to be close to where he could
work. The couple had 3 children, including a son who is severely mentally
challenged. Barbara opted to be a stay-at-home mother to look after their
son who required extra attention. Her husband died of a heart attack in
1991, leaving her with little resources to take care of herself. Now, her
son lives in a home for the mentally challenged and she rarely sees her
other two children. As you can imagine, Barbara often feels quite alone.
Complicating matters are
Barbara’s health and financial problems. She says she has arthritis and
problems with her back which cause her constant agony. She says that the
doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with her back, but whatever it is
leaves her in pain all the time. Barbara’s subsidized rent has recently gone
up to $310 a month. On an income of only $800 a month you can understand how
hard it is for her to make ends meet! Earlier this year, when there was five
weeks instead of the usual four weeks in between two consecutive delivery
days we made an emergency delivery to Barbara because she had literally no
resources with which to purchase food!
In fact, our food
deliveries are often Barbara’s only source of sustenance. She relies on the
80-90 lbs. of food delivered to her each month to keep herself going. She is
confident that things will work out for her.
Deeply religious, she
enjoys studying the Bible and also likes sewing her own clothes. We are
continuously touched by Barbara’s good heart and compassionate nature. We
are thankful to you for coming together with us to help bring her the
nourishment she so sorely needs.
Things to Remember about Barbara:
• Barbara’s birthday is January 1, 1933.
• She loves to cook.
• Her income is $800 a month.
• Her favorite foods are chicken, fish and ribs.
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