Dennis' Story
Dennis doesn't let his challenges get in his way ... MORE
|
|
 |
 |
Giving and Getting
Helen Radon is 89 years young. You'd probably feel young too if somebody exclaimed, "25 years!" every time they saw you. That happens to Helen every so often at Senior Citizen Resources Inc.'s Deaconess-Krafft Center -- but the 25 years referred to is actually the number of years she's volunteered at this agency in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood.
Five days a week for the past 25 years, Helen has helped out at Senior Citizen Resources' cheerful and immaculate senior community centers, welcoming visitors and cashiering the agency's lunch program, signing in people and lending a hand with clerical work when needed. She's clocked in over 25,000 hours of volunteer service!
In turn, they help Helen. She depends on the agency's senior transportation program to take her to the community center, the grocery store, bank, doctor's visits and other places she needs to go during the week.
700 Fussy Tailors
More numbers to consider. Helen has the distinction of being one the "700 Fussy Tailors" who worked for the Richman Brothers, one of the largest makers of menswear in the country. "When I retired from Richman Brothers, where I had worked as a seamstress, I had a lot of time on my hands and not much to do," recalls Helen. "That was in 1983. I had a friend who encouraged me to join her at the Deaconess-Krafft Center, and that's when I started taking advantage of the services provided and volunteering here."
"They take me shopping on Thursdays and to my doctor when I have appointments," says Helen. They also have a nurse that gives flu shots and checks blood pressure at the center. And the lunch program costs only a dollar each day, but if you don't have a dollar, you're still welcome to come and eat, as long as you're 60 years old or older."
"There are card games after lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And throughout the year there are holiday parties. They also have computer classes, sewing classes and even a Senior Olympics held during the summer each year, with events here at Deaconess-Krafft, at Schwab Center, and at Estabrook Recreation Center."
One Fussy Volunteer
"Helen is very fastidious," says Ginny Dobrovic, Senior Citizen Resources social services program manager. "She's actually received an award because she's so fastidious about her work. We kid her and call Helen our 'fussy volunteer' because everything she does is done to perfection."
"Helen never misses a day here -- her attendance is perfect." There's that fussy thing again. "Basically, we're Helen's family and look out for her," says Dobrovic.
"We have four vans and provide transportation for seniors who live in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood," she continues. "And of course, as Helen mentioned, our lunch program is open to anyone 60 years of age or older."
"We have a good mix of seniors," Dobrovic adds. "People from the residential facility next door, seniors living in the surrounding neighborhood and even some from more distant communities come here because they enjoy the company of friends at our lunches, card games, crafts classes and other activities. We have field trips to places such as the Cleveland Playhouse, Amish country, farmers' markets and the parks. And speakers come to talk about educational topics such as nutrition and medicine."
Bernadette Bulanda, Senior Citizen Resources executive director, has a few numbers of her own to add. "In 2007, we served congregate meals to more than 600 different seniors, with about 150 seniors coming to our meals five days a week throughout the year at two of our centers," says Bernadette. "We also home-delivered over 36,000 meals to seniors last year and provided transportation for 452 seniors to medical appointments, grocery shopping, the hunger center and to our own centers for meals and activities."
Senior Citizen Resources Inc. provides services to adults age 60 and older at three locations in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn area. Programs include congregate meals, home-delivered meals, transportation and other social services and activities for seniors. To find out more, call 216-749-5367.
United Way of Greater Cleveland supports the senior services and senior transportation programs at Senior Citizen Resources Inc., just two of the more than 200 health and human service programs giving hope and opportunities to over 400,000 people in our community each year. For more information about United Way of Greater Cleveland or the 2008 United Way Campaign or to make a donation, call 216-436-2100 or visit uws.org/help.
|
|
|
