In 1991, our founder, Rita Ungaro-Schiavone, became seriously ill and underwent surgery and radiation treatments. As she lay in the hospital, she thought, "No matter what, I know my life has made a difference. And that was a very good feeling," she says.
Once out of the hospital, Rita began to recover, but she had a desire to write about her experiences with Aid For Friends. "That's when I began my book, culling personal stories from the bi-monthly newsletters I had written for many years," she explains. "When the book was finished, I felt content ... because I knew that these stories of our precious client/friends -- my 'home-bound heroes' -- and the extraordinary volunteers who serve them would live in the pages of my book."
A chapter from Rita's book, Faces On My Journey: The Aid For Friends Story, follows.
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Mrs. Jones and Son: Hungry and Cold |
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The winter I first heard about Mrs. Jones and her son they were two tragic figures desperate for food. Mrs.
Jones, who was in her 90s and very sick with cancer, weighed just 62
pounds. Her son, who was in
his 60s, was very ill as well. When
Mrs. Jones returned from hospitalization following surgery, she found
neither heat nor water in her home because the pipes had frozen.
There was no food. It
took the city five days to correct the situation and both she and her
son were greatly affected by the extreme cold.
The frigid air inside the house affected Mrs. Jones' tongue so
that she could barely speak. She
and her son were starving. In
desperation, she called her doctor and asked for help. The
dedicated physician called a convent that was close by asking if it was
possible for a nun to bring food to two of his patients.
When Sister received the call from the doctor she immediately
brought his patients dinners from one of Aid For Friends' freezers,
which is located in the adjoining church.
When she went to their home she found the stove and oven
inoperative. Sister
put through a call to our office and then immediately went there to pick
up a toaster oven for the couple. We
had no visitor volunteers available, but Sister told us not to worry
because she would gladly volunteer her services until a permanent
visitor Mrs.
Jones and her son have been receiving help for more than five years now
and I am most grateful that we were able to help mother and son get
through that crisis. But the
good news is that five years later they are doing so much better.
Cathy and I visited the little family last summer and Mrs. Jones
was a delight! She proudly showed
us all of the plants that she was grows on her sun porch, including
beautiful orchids she has cultivated for many years.
Previously Mrs. Jones raised annuals in her back yard and sold
the flowers from a stand in front of her home, which provided a
supplement to her meager social security payments. Mrs.
Jones then took us into her living room.
I admired the intricate carving on the original Victorian
furniture that she and her husband purchased when they first married.
Everything in the room was a bit faded but, despite her age, she
still managed to keep a neat and orderly home. During
the holidays, Mrs. Jones' wonderful visitor brought her to our open
house. The 95-year-old woman
is a feisty lady who has a twinkle in her eye and a marvelous sense of
humor. I gave her a big hug. |
He will free the poor man who calls to him, and those who need help.
He will have pity on the poor and feeble, and save the lives of those in need.
Psalm 72:12-14
Charity is never lost:
It may meet with ingratitude,
yet it ever does a
work of beauty and grace
upon the heart of the giver.
Conyers Middleton
12/2005
