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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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We feel
privileged to get to know so many different individuals through our Senior
Citizen Project. The low-income seniors in our program come from all
different backgrounds and have many different stories to tell us. We have
found such a diverse array of personalities amongst them. Some are shy and
withdrawn, others are boisterous and outspoken. But we are happy to get to
know all of them and get to become friends with each of them. One senior who
comes to mind as having a particularly charming personality is our senior
Robert. 74 this year, Robert has had his share of ups and downs in life, but
he still has one of the most warm and friendly dispositions of anyone we
have ever met. We are thankful to you, Dennis, for helping us to bring
support to Robert in his winter years. We would like to take this
opportunity to share some of this wonderful man’s stories with you.
The son of a
machine company owner, Robert grew up in Milwaukee living a relatively
comfortable life. He attended college at the University of Wisconsin and
later married one of his former professors, although their marriage didn’t
last very long. For most of his life he worked as an art salesman and taught
mentally challenged young people how to play golf. Art and golf remain his
twin passions even today. Robert was quite happy with his life until a major
setback put him in the position he is in now. Robert required major surgery
at a time when he had no health insurance. The surgery wound up costing him
$270,000 and left him with almost nothing. Since then, his life has been
radically different.
His illnesses continue to
be a major problem for him to this day. He suffers from skin and prostate
cancer, although he cheerfully reports that they are doing better. He also
had a colostomy several years ago which has made his life much more
difficult. Pain in his sciatic nerve ended his ability to work regularly.
His financial situation has not improved much either. He has an income of
$900 a month but pays almost $300 between his subsidized rent and utilities.
He also must pay close to another $300 in medical bills each month. He has
been trying with very little luck to secure his military discharge papers.
He can’t go to the veterans hospital or get veteran’s benefits without them,
but he’s been told they have been destroyed.
Despite all of this,
Robert maintains one of the most positive attitudes of anyone we’ve ever
met. He practically beams when he talks about his son who lives in Colorado.
He told us that his son teaches special education. “There’s not much money
in that,” Robert said, but said that “money doesn’t matter when you have a
good heart,” like his son. When asked about our service Robert says “You
people are great! It’s been a real godsend.” He estimates that our food
deliveries save him up to $200 a month. The saved money allows him to live
more comfortably and be able to enjoy some of the extras in life, he says.
When he has a chance, he still likes to head down to the golf course every
once and a while to continue teaching children how to play his favorite
sport. Even well into his old age, Robert still places others before
himself. He says that he likes to share the food he receives from HSP with
the maintenance man in his building because his family is struggling as
well. We are so happy, Dennis, that you have empowered us to provide for
this loving and caring man. Together, we can continue to make sure he can
live life to its fullest!
Things to Remember about Robert:
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Robert’s birthday is July 1, 1932.
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His income is $900 a month.
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He loves to watch sports on TV.
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He enjoys reading and just finished
The DaVinci Code.
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