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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
needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project are a diverse group who come
from all over America, and beyond. With
so many different people, you can
imagine all of the different stories we have heard from them! They are all
brought together by one thing, however. No matter how their different paths
in life have led them to where they are now, they are all now currently in
need of our assistance to be able to make ends meet. One senior who comes to
mind is Pauline. 85-year-old Pauline wound up in the Chicagoland area by a
series of coincidences, but she is happy her life went as it did. Despite
this, her current situation is truly dire.
Pauline grew up in France
and Poland, the daughter of a factory worker. Her family was living in
France during World War II, and volunteered to have an American soldier join them for
Easter dinner. They figured that just because these boys were thousands of
miles away from home doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get a nice, home-cooked
meal on Easter! Interestingly enough, however, Pauline and the soldier who
showed up at her family’s house got along famously, and began corresponding
regularly. Before too long, they were married, and when the war was over
they moved to Chicago, where Pauline’s husband found work in a cannery. The
two were never rich, but what they lacked in material wealth, they made up
for in happiness.
Sadly, Pauline’s husband
passed away of a heart attack about
seven years ago, after 65 years of marriage to
Pauline. Since then, Pauline has lived
alone in a small townhouse.
She misses her husband
very much, and has trouble making ends meet on her own. The couple had one
son, but Pauline only sees him about once every two months. He is busy with
his own life, and can’t always be there for Pauline. She considers herself
lucky to have relatively good health for an
85-year-old, although she does
say that she gets tired very easily. Despite her fair health, her financial
situation has grown more and more tight as she has grown older. Her limited
income of $969 doesn’t go very far after she pays her monthly assessment,
utilities, and taxes.
Fortunately, Pauline will
never have to worry where her next meal will be coming from! She loves
having food delivered right to her door. She is unable to drive and doesn’t
have many friends or family members in the area she lives, so it is
invaluable to her to have an HSP volunteer bring the food right into her
house. “Everything you do is perfect,” she said, when asked about how HSP
helps her out. We are glad to hear this warm and wonderful woman have such
great things to say about our programs. We feel truly privileged to be able
to help her out. Thanks to you we can continue to make sure that she never
has to worry about bare cupboards.
Things to Remember about Pauline:
• Pauline’s birthday is August 28, 1922.
• She loves opera music.
• She reads the newspaper every day and loves news magazines.
• She takes a 45-minute walk around her block each day.
• She keeps a small indoor garden to keep her spirits up.
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