Senior News December, 2001 Vol. 20. No.  12

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Senior Friends: Gifts of time, energy and talent are recognized

CSL: Seniors set priorities

We stand together: Local nonprofits could be inadvertant casualties of Sept. 11 horrors

Holiday spirit: Recipes bring memories, celebrate world cultures

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Senior Friends
Gifts of time, energy and talent are recognized
by Julie Sessa

Honoring friends of the senior community The 2001 Senior Friend honorees are from left, Kelly Sanders, Opal Cantrell, Ruth McCardie and Leslie Lollich. Photo by Barbara Clark

The Area Agency on Aging recently recognized several individuals for their gifts of friendship to senior communities in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Senior Friend Awards were presented at the agency's 2001 Annual Meeting Nov. 13th. Opal Cantrell and Ruth McCardie were named Senior Friends in the Volunteer category. The Senior Friend-Organization category was awarded to Diane Dickey of Washington Mutual Bank and the Redwood Coast Music Festivals. A special Media Award was presented to Leslie Lollich.

"Opal helped out in senior programs before there were senior programs!" said Denise Vanden Bos, director of the Volunteer Center of the Redwoods. In 1974, when the Humboldt Senior Resource Center was first getting its bearings, Opal was there. She is still there as a greeter and key volunteer on mailing teams. For many years she led the group of volunteers who labeled and mailed Senior News. She has also spent 21 years with the Senior Helpers program that serves lunches once a week. "She is the Queen of Volunteers," said Denise.

Ruth McCardie from Hoopa has volunteered in the schools and libraries for many years. She shares her first-hand experiences in Hitler's Germany - the negative power of racism and prejudice - with today's students. "Education of our young people is important to Ruth," said Gail Gai, placement coordinator for the Seniors in Humboldt As Resources in Education (SHARE) program.

Co-workers and social workers in Del Norte County noted that Diane Dickey "has gone above and beyond the normal duties of a bank employee. She is a great gatekeeper for the seniors who bank with Washington Mutual." Being watchful and taking extra special care with seniors can make a significant difference in keeping them safe from financial risks.

The Redwood Coast Music Festivals (RCMF) also received a Senior Friend Award for their support of senior programs. Since 1991, the RCMF, which produces the annual Dixieland Jazz Festival and Blues by the Bay, has awarded $257,000 to various senior service programs in the bi-county area. These funds have benefited program expansion, service continuation, equipment and remodeling needs and new program development. Kelly Sanders, director; Russ Harris, board president; and Bonnie Neely, co-founder, accepted the award.

A special Aging Media Award was presented to Leslie Lollich, currently assistant general manager of KAEF TV, ABC Channel 23. Her career spans nearly 20 years in radio and television. "Leslie has been the news reporter who would arrive every time, on time, to our press conferences," recalled Marianne Nix, director of Information Services at the Area Agency on Aging. "We are grateful for your ongoing commitment to the older adults in our community."

Julie Sessa is Information and Assistance coordinator for the Area Agency on Aging. Her e-mail is infoserve@a1aa.org.