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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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Many of the seniors in our Senior
Citizens Project struggle daily with the pain of declining health, the
loneliness of separation from family, and the anxiety of a limited income.
The remarkable thing is that through all of their own problems, most
have a hopeful spirit and giving nature. Despite her own physical and
financial limitations, 67-year-old Betty still
volunteers her time 3 days a week with Meals on Wheels to make sure that her
neighbors are receiving the meals that they need. As extremely grateful as
she is for her much-needed monthly grocery deliveries, she knows that she is
not the only person in need of assistance and is happy to help where she
can.
When Betty was only 6,
her family moved from Pennsylvania to Illinois. She, along with her brother
and sister, grew up together before all going their separate ways. Her
brother now lives in Texas and her sister lives in California. The three
stay in contact by phone and only manage infrequent visits. Betty lost her
parents when they were both in their early 70s. She is divorced, and has two
children as a result of her marriage, but in 2000 lost contact with her
daughter. Her son lives in West Chicago and picks her up every Sunday to
visit her 2 young granddaughters, but is unable to help her financially.
Betty’s list of ailments
seems to be forever growing. Like most people her age, she suffers from the
effects of arthritis, hypertension, and high blood pressure, but she also
fights daily with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (causes labored
breathing), Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (which will eventually lead to liver
failure), a degenerative spinal column, brittle bone disease,
hypothyroidism, and is manic depressive. Each day she takes 14 pills and
uses 3 different inhalers. Betty must use a cane for support when she walks
and moves very slowly because of her breathing trouble. A woman
provided for by the county comes to her apartment to help her with cooking
and cleaning and a county social worker helps her to arrange for
transportation to doctor's appointments when necessary.
Despite all of her own
problems, Betty feels compelled to help others. Three days a week, she is a
volunteer with Meals on Wheels, setting tables, assembling food packages,
even delivering food to 5 people who live in her building! Betty knows that
even with her labored breathing and need for a cane, there are other people
in worse condition that need her help. It is also an opportunity for her to
share stories and to exchange books and magazines with her neighbors. After
lunch, Betty will return home to relax in front of the TV or with a magazine.
Some evenings, her volunteer coordinator will take her to dinner or to the
store, and on Fridays she goes downstairs to play bingo. Betty loves to work
on word search puzzles, browse catalogs, and read mystery novels, which she
later discusses
with her friends.
A monthly income of only
$643 must cover Betty’s rent of $150, medications, groceries, and all of her
utilities. She has faced many months where skipping meals was the only way
to pay all of her bills. Like most seniors, Betty’s health only remains
stable with proper nutrition. Now she looks forward to her monthly
deliveries of 12 varieties of fresh produce, 7 selections of frozen meats, 5
bags of non-perishable items, bread, paper products, and personal care
items, knowing full well that her days of going hungry are over. While
realistically the service saves her $150-200 each month, Betty said, “It’s
worth a million dollars. I thank God every day that I have it. It’s an
absolute blessing.” We are happy to have Betty in the HSP family and we are
confident that, together, we can help her get through these difficult times
in her life!
Things to Remember about Betty:
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Her birthday is December 14, 1942; she turns 66
in 2008
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Her monthly income is $643
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Her favorite color is blue
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Her favorite flower is the rose
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