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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
onset of many struggles come with age: the realization that you can no
longer work, the grief of coping with the passing of friends and family,
managing the suffering caused by your own failing health, and worrying over
the reality of a limited income, to name just a few. Any, and certainly all,
of these things can leave the seniors in our Senior Citizen Project feeling
helpless. Our seniors have been cornered into a situation where the
assistance of others is the only way to get relief from their struggles.
68-year-old L.A. (as she has been called since childhood) has been through many hard times.
As her health continues to deteriorate, the feeling of helplessness over her
situation becomes deeper.
L.A. was born and raised
in Mississippi with her 5 sisters and 3 brothers. When she was in her early
twenties, her family moved to Carpentersville. Her parents then moved to
Maywood, where they lived until her mother passed at
the age of 82 and her father at
103. She has 4 siblings who are still living, 3 in Illinois and
1 in St. Louis. They all struggle getting around, so they do not see
each other often, but usually manage to get together 2 or 3 times a year for
a “reunion,” and talk regularly on the phone. L.A. lived in Chicago for the
24 years of her marriage, which ended in divorce. She had 6 children, but lost
2, one just this past year, to complications of inherited heart conditions.
Of her remaining children, 2 sons live in Mississippi, 1 in Kankakee, and
her daughter lives in the same complex that she does. She sees her daughter
and her 2 children most days, but very rarely sees any other family.
Even at a young age, L.A.
suffered from arthritis and asthma. She was never able to work because of
her limited mobility. She said that lately her health has been down, and she
has been having a great deal of difficulty getting around. Her arthritis
affects her entire body, and pain killers prescribed by her doctors have
never offered much relief. L.A. is also a long-time sufferer of diabetes,
which she has been able to keep under control with medication and by eating
a balanced diet, as suggested by her doctors.
No matter what L.A. does
to pass the time, she always tries to keep her hands moving to keep the pain
at a minimum. She used to crochet, but has developed a shake in her hands
that she said caused her to make too many mistakes. Now, she plays cards on
her computer, does word puzzles, and finds small cleaning projects around
her apartment. L.A. also reads the Bible and visits with her friend of 14
years who lives in the apartment beneath her.
L.A.’s monthly income is
$927. She spends $203 on rent, and must budget a large portion of her income
to bills and medications. Before she was referred to HSP, finding a way to
purchase all the groceries and supplies that she needed each month was a big
challenge. Like many of the seniors in our program, L.A. would sometimes
have to skip meals simply because she could not afford food for the entire
month. Our monthly grocery deliveries have helped to relieve one major
burden in L.A.’s life. The 5 bags of non-perishables, 1 bag of paper
products and personal care items, 7 selections of frozen meats, 5 varieties
of fresh fruits, and 6 varieties of fresh vegetables make it possible for
L.A. to maintain the healthy diet suggested by her doctors. “I just love
everything, it couldn’t be any better! You get a 100 on everything that you
do. What more could a person ask for?!” We are happy to have L.A. 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 L.A.:
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Born April 8, 1940.
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Her monthly income is $927.
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Her favorite colors are black and white.
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Her favorite flower is the rose.
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