October 16, 2007Soup drive runs overThank you, Roanoke and New River valleys. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Two weeks ago, I urged area residents to donate soup to help feed 600 elderly men and women. Your generosity far exceeded the expectations for the Local Office on Aging's one-time project. The modest goal was to collect 3,000 cans of soup and 600 boxes of crackers. But on Monday, the official end of the "Soup for Seniors" project, the agency had collected 22,400 cans of soup and 2,700 boxes of crackers -- not to mention $15,292 in cash donations, including a $4,300 gift from the Foundation for Roanoke Valley's Marion S. and Willie Z. Camp Fund for Elder Care. I knew you could do it. I knew you would do it. "If anybody wonders whether people are reading the paper, they sure do. They read your article," said Susan Williams, executive director of the Local Office on Aging. "I saw that write-up in the paper. Tears was running like a 2-year-old chap," said James Britt, 70, who lives in Melrose Towers. He became the project's unofficial concierge, helping people unload their cars and carry soup into the LOA office. Project organizer Barbara James and her staff give me credit for getting the word out. But that's all I did. The community was moved by the plight of people such as Mary Lou Smith, who was featured in the article and who is symbolic of many seniors who have worked hard all their lives. Unfortunately, some enter their twilight years unable to stretch their limited income to cover the rising costs of necessities as basic as food. In the column, my plea was for "readers to pick up an extra can or two of soup and a box of crackers." Boy, did they. Good will flowed from all quarters of the community. Schoolchildren. Sororities. Fraternities. Health care workers. Bowling leagues. An auto dealership. A bank. A women's clothing retailer. A real estate agency. Churches. A radio station. Neighborhoods. Individuals -- all acting on a heartfelt desire to help the less fortunate. "I went into Wal-Mart and I asked the lady how come they don't have a sign up about this," Carol Ann Andes said one afternoon as she dropped off several cans of soup and dashed off a check. The Moneta resident said she takes care of her 81-year-old mother. She was disturbed that some elderly don't have enough to eat. "I hope this brings y'all more than you ever was hoping for," Andes said as she rushed out of the LOA and headed back to work in Roanoke. Cynthia Word, a woman at my church, got out of her car Sunday a week ago clutching her bag of three cans of soup and crackers. "Did you bring your soup?" Word, a General Electric retiree, asked another member. Everywhere, people were buying and donating. A day after the original column ran, Judy Weller sent me an e-mail. "I got to Kroger this morning and another woman was tossing cans of soup into her cart. I asked her if she was shopping for LOA and she said, 'Yes.' "When I checked out, the cashier at the Cave Spring Corners Kroger said she had never sold so much soup in one day -- this was at 10 a.m.!" Patricia Evans, program specialist for the aging office, was the first point of contact for people dropping off donations. She shared heart-warming stories of people who came into the office. One gentleman from Hunting Hills brought in 460 cans of soup and 44 boxes of crackers and said he planned to challenge his neighbors to donate. Another woman was the personification of the New Testament parable of the widow's mite. She appeared to be destitute, walked up to Pat's desk and handed her two cans of soup and a box of crackers. An envelope arrived without a return address and no note -- containing four one-dollar bills and four quarters taped to a piece of paper. "In the history of our agency, we've never had a project that's not a fundraiser that is this big and benefiting so many seniors," James said. With the abundance of donations, James said, the office was able to expand its list of recipients. Now, more than 2,000 people will receive at least 10 cans of soup each. The bags, donated by Ukrop's, also will contain canned tuna, fruit cups and oatmeal -- bought with some of the donated money. LOA will stop accepting donations by noon Thursday. Already, agency volunteers workers have delivered more than 1,600 bags. They are sending soup and cracker donations to feed 300 needy elderly in the New River Valley, because several of the donations came from there. Any leftover monies will be used to create an emergency fund to feed the elderly for the rest of the winter, James said. Some donors didn't want to give their name to the agency. One woman went to the office last week, handed over her donation and started out the door. Pat stopped her to get her name. The woman turned long enough only to say, "I read the article. I cried and now, I'm being obedient."
|
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
Comments
[October 16, 2007 9:52 AM]
missyThank goodness for writers like you. So often our elderly are forgotten. I care for my grandmother, and I know how difficult it is for her to live off of what she recieves each month. Just when we think noone cares something so wonderful happens. Keep up the good work and God bless each and everyone who participated and their support. Lets always remember our elderly.