The impact of volunteers
Last Saturday, the basement at Pat Crowley House underwent drastic changes, it was cleared of a lot of junk and cleaned. This task would have not been possible without the help of 14 motivated volunteers from Saint Clement Parish, a Catholic parish community with a focus on personal development. The clutter and old furniture was removed in order to create a new hangout-area for the seniors who live in the building. Within four hours of hard work, the volunteers cleared, cleaned and painted the complete room as well as an old bar which was hiding under lots of dishes! Not only did the basement receive love and care, but also the empty apartment in the third floor. It was refurbished and finished up for a young family to move in and live intergenerationally with the senior residents in the same house. Thank you, Saint Clement Parish!
One day later, in the evening, the Pat Crowley residents were indulged once again by the guest chefs, George and Debbie from Chicago Cares. The seniors love them and it is always a highlight for them to be served an excellent dinner. This time it was salad with strawberries, almond crusted goat cheese balls and a dressing with two types of vinegar, pasta with spinach, cheese and sausage and 7 Up cake for dessert, as well as homemade sugar cookies baked by the seniors earlier that day. After dinner, Wilson from Chicago Cares set up a projector in the living room and the seniors gathered around for a movie night. They were watching 'Florence Foster Jenkins' and a documentary about animals around the world who survive in extreme conditions. See you next time, Chicago Cares - the residents are looking forward to seeing you again!
On Tuesday, the seniors from Pat Crowley House were invited to lunch by their new housing coordinator Maggie. They were going to 'La Unica', a small restaurant and food market where you can eat a variety of ethnic dishes, including Mexican, Peruvian, Columbian and more.
Seniors at La Unica for lunch. From left to right: Lillian, Myra, Maggie, Charlotte, Judy and Jean.
After a satisfying meal, it was time to leave for the Chicago History Museum, where the residents had an outing together with the people from Nathalie Salmon House. There was a lot to see: films about Chicago, an old 'L' train where you could walk inside and many original collections from baseball hats to hotel signs from back in the days when staying the night was less than a dollar.
Overall, it was a busy but fun week that the seniors enjoyed. They are also happy about volunteers at the house, especially guest chefs. So if you are interested in spending some of your time for a good cause to benefit low-income seniors, click the button below for more information. We are currently in need for a substitute cook (see here) at our Good Life residence Pat Crowley House. We, especially the seniors, would greatly appreciate if you or someone you know could help us out!
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