|
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
|
|
As
we grow older, it is only natural that we will begin to lose contact with
many of the individuals who have populated our life. As our bodies age, we
can no longer go to visit friends at a moment's notice. As our children take
on more adult responsibilities, they have less time to dedicate to us. For
this reason, the elderly often find themselves suffering long stretches of
crushing loneliness, worried that there is no one out there who cares about
them. When we talk to the seniors in our Senior Citizen Program, we often
hear stories like this, which serve to remind us of
the importance of making sure that our seniors know that we are there for them. When we first
met Susie in 2002, we knew that we could make a difference in her life.
76-year-old Susie has little in the way of support for her mountainous health
and financial problems. We are grateful to you for helping us to bring
comfort into Susie’s life. We wanted to take this opportunity to share some
of her story with you.
Susie grew up in
Mississippi, on the farm her parents worked. She had
ten brothers and sisters,
but their ages were so spread out that she says it was never too crowded for
her. She had siblings who were as much as 20 and 30 years older than
she was. Susie
eventually married and had
five children with her husband. She says
that she can’t
really recall how they met. “We just did,” she said! “One night we were both
out, and that’s all I can say!” One of their children was born slightly
mentally handicapped, and unable to speak or hear. Feeling that they would be
able to get better special education for him in a metropolitan area, they
decided to move to Chicago in 1971.
Now, Susie still takes
care of her disabled son, but has
far less help in doing so. Susie’s husband
passed away several years ago, and all of her brothers and sisters
are also deceased. Tragedies such as these are not uncommon in
Susie’s life. A few years ago, her son was murdered, and she lost a nephew
the same year. As you can imagine, these losses have taken their toll on
Susie, who has become very depressed over the past few years. Complicating
matters are Susie’s health and financial problems. Susie suffers from high
blood pressure and glaucoma, which is slowly robbing her of her sight. She
has already lost use of one of her eyes. She used to love to read and do
puzzles, but as her eyesight gets worse and worse, those activities have
become quite hard for her. Her income of only $599 a month means that funds
are tight for her and her son, especially considering that the taxes on her
deceased sister’s home, where she lives, are over $2,000 each year.
Despite all of this,
Susie will never have to worry about where her next meal will come from.
“It’s so great,” she says of the food deliveries she receives. “I’ve
actually gained weight! I have to thank you for that.” We feel truly
privileged to be able to bring nourishment to the lives of Susie and her son,
who are so thankful for the assistance they receive. Your support is a real
empowerment in our mission to alleviate the suffering of this wonderful
woman.
Things to Remember about Susie:
• Susie’s birthday is April 5, 1932.
• Her income is $599 a month.
• She enjoys sewing and knitting.
• Her favorite foods are chicken, hamburger, and fruit.
|
