We could all use a little inspiration. Here are the stories of five local seniors who contribute to their community, showing us all how to do better — and be better.
An amazing athlete
Velma Robinson is a baseball fan. She doesn’t mind picking up a bat and ball herself either.
Last summer, she was named an honorary player for the Schaumburg Boomers, an independent league baseball team. They gave her a shirt and hat, and sent her out on the field with instructions to get a guy out at second. And she did it. Success!
At bat, she slammed the ball so hard she almost hit a photographer who had to jump back to avoid her powerful line drive. “Man, I hit that ball hard,” says Robinson, 89, whose image flashed on the jumbotron. “I gave it my best.”
Giving it her best pretty much describes Robinson’s approach to life. In fact, she got called up to play with the Boomers because she’s among the most active and athletic residents at Friendship Village, a retirement community in Schaumburg. She won 60 medals at the Silver Games, hosted each year by the community.
“I play just about everything,” says Robinson, quickly listing her wins in various sports but adding with a laugh that she only placed second in golf.
Robinson, who worked 22 years for Sara Lee in Deerfield, was previously a champion bowler and still bowls once a month with a local church league.
But last month, on an unseasonably warm day and baseball on her mind, Robinson was reminiscing. She recalled how the Boomers made 1,000 “Velma Robinson” baseball cards, which she signed at the game, surrounded by family and friends. “We had such a good time,” she says.
Takeaway: Do the best you can.
A passionate volunteer
When Sister Betty Smith retired, she decided to fill her life with meaningful activities. As a member of the Sisters of Mercy religious order, she wanted to avoid the temptation of aging to become focused on a narrow world and one’s own concerns. So Smith set out to stay involved, and her work in retirement has become an extension of her long-time, and meaningful career as an educator and administrator. Previously, she was dean of students at the Jesuit School of Theology at Boston College. She served as president of the Chicago Region of the Sisters of Mercy for 12 years, and is still on the board of directors at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. For seven years, Smith volunteered at the Aquinas Literary Center in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood, teaching English as a second language (ESL). In 2013, she moved to Mercy Circle, a retirement community on Chicago’s Southwest side.
Most recently, Smith, 82, is using her administrative skills to volunteer on the board of the Interfaith Conference for Detained Immigrants, a nonprofit organization that helps detained or incarcerated immigrants. Her role on the board is to help sustain the program by raising funds, and bringing attention to the group. “Our work is important,” says Smith.
Takeaway: Fill your life with meaning to help cope with aging.
Lending a hand, and a paw
Many studies have shown that dogs bring joy into people’s lives. And Mary McCauley, who was a nurse for 25 years, knew that people in the hospital could definitely use some cheering up. So she enrolled her beloved dog Laddie in a therapy dog training program at Palos Community Hospital.
As it turned out, Laddie, a Shetland Sheepdog, excelled at spreading joy. So the pair worked for four years at the hospital visiting patients, bringing smiles to their faces.
When McCauley moved to Smith Crossing, a retirement community in south suburban Orland Park, she decided to bring her work with Laddie a little closer to home. Now the duo visits assisted living and nursing care residents who live at the community. McCauley takes Laddie on his rounds every day at 10 am. “People want to stop and pet him,” says McCauley. “We get right into a discussion about their pets.”
McCauley visits another nearby assisted living building with Laddie, and takes him to a day program for seniors in Tinley Park.
For fun, McCauley dresses Laddie in costumes for holidays, and colorful kerchiefs on regular days.
A favorite time is when McCauley takes Laddie to visit the residents with dementia. “It’s well worth it to get a little smile out of them,” she says. “Laddie is very calming.”
Takeaway: Get engaged in something you love.
A voice for soldiers, children
Marilyn Stone wants you to know upfront that other people have done a lot more than she has to help support the Kiwanis Club of Southwest Chicago. That said, at 94, Stone is a vocal advocate for the club that works to help children and others in need.
Last Christmas, Stone helped to collect Christmas cards for soldiers serving overseas. Stone lives at Smith Village, a retirement community in Chicago, and she and her daughter, Linda Lamberty, set up a table near the main entrance of the building. Residents, staffers and visitors, stopped long enough to sign their names to the cards. Some wrote notes too. They collected more than 200 cards, which were sent overseas. “The Kiwanis Club members deserve the credit,” says Stone.
Stone and her daughter are involved in other Kiwanis initiatives, and often use Smith Village as a meeting place for the group’s regular dinners. The Go Baby Go program provides small motorized cars to disabled children. The group contributed money for three cars, and the kids and families were invited to Smith Village to receive the cars. “They drove them around the hall here,” says Stone, fondly recalling the evening with the kids and their families. “We support these efforts.”
Takeaway: Make the most of the rest of your life.
A neighbor never forgets
A hospital stay can be a scary time. So Maria Tisch, who lives at Brookdale Hoffman Estates in the northwest suburb, helped to establish the Road to Wellness group. It makes get well cards and goodie bags for Brookdale residents who are in the hospital. The group also makes door hangars that welcome residents back to their apartments after a stay in the hospital. “It makes me feel good to see their smiling faces,” says Tisch, 82.
The Road to Wellness group meets every Thursday. A few weeks ago, they were making cards for Valentine’s Day. Tisch delivers the cards to her hospitalized neighbors in person to let them know they haven’t been forgotten.
Tisch doesn’t stop there, though. She’s also a building ambassador, taking newcomers under her wing to help them adjust to the new community. “I try to make them feel more at home,” she says. Tisch invites them to eat with her in the dining room. She also wears an ambassador’s badge so if someone needs help, they know who to ask. “It can be a little tough at the beginning for a new resident,” says Tisch. “I try to make them feel more at home.”
Takeaway: Reach out to others.
