Calling all saints, for the giving season;
year-round, they improve lives

A few years back on All-Saints Sunday, the senior pastor at Grosse Pointe Memorial church asked from the pulpit, “Do any of you know any saints?”

The question was meant rhetorically, so he was taken aback when a faithful parishioner called out, “Sure,” and named Carol Marks of the Woods, the director of pastoral ministries at the church. The congregation obviously agreed with retired dentist Tom Singelyn because they applauded the choice.

Ms. Marks’ labor of love–and it certainly is that–-is to choogle around town on her motor scooter bringing cheer to the home- and hospital-bound. She does that with a 1,000-watt smile and a deep sense of caring for her fellow man.

The good news in this season of celebration is that Ms. Marks is not alone.

If you were one of the 50 or 60 folks who attended the recent annual meeting of Serving Older Citizens (SOC) at the Neighborhood Club you were exposed to a dozen more. These are volunteers who have given thousands of hours to insure the wellbeing of their neighbors and strangers in the five Pointes and Harper Woods. More than 52,000 hours of volunteer time were logged by the SOC saints of the Grosse Pointes. And every volunteer and staff member had heartwarming tales to tell.

For example Diane Bezy, who is in charge of home repair and housing rehab, told about the elderly resident who said she had been feeling ill for three weeks and the pilot light on her furnace had gone out. Diane got a furnace man out there, who discovered there was a cracked heat exchanger and poisonous fumes were escaping into the home. Diane got a new furnace installed and the woman’s headaches went away.

Nina Mondalek talked about social services; Susan Knopf and Joan Thornton run the food & friendship program; Maryann Judge is in charge of meals on wheels and Deanna Arendoski coordinates all of those volunteer hours.

One of them said: “We say ‘yes’ to the needs of seniors. We would like to get every older person in the Grosse Pointes who is lonely to come and have lunch with us.”

The food and friendship program served more than 8,870 lunches in the past year. One senior reportedly told SOC staffers: “My friends at SOC give me a reason to get out of bed each day.”

Meals on Wheels delivered 20,749 in the past year with special meals and holiday greetings to area seniors at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

Annual reports are not usually terribly interesting documents, but the SOC one that details the various saintly activities of volunteers and staff is special.

Executive Director Sharon Maier, who has ably led the growth and strengthening of SOC over the past half dozen years and Shane Reeside, the 2009 President reported:

“Often, the seniors we serve refer to us as family and speak of coming to SOC with a glisten of warmth in their voices. The same kind of warmth many of us have when we talk about going home at the end of the day. That relaxed feeling, the casual knowing that someone cares, knowing that you fit in, knowing that there is a place at the table for you, feeling. That’s how they talk to us when they tell us a story about their grandchildren or ask for help with their roofs.”

One grim reality came out at the annual meeting. Like all social service agencies, SOC’s donations are down. Treasurer Jim Miller reported that expenses exceeded income by about $46,000.

So if in these closing days of 2009 you have a little extra cash to donate to a group of saints who are doing God’s work, contact Emily Schwartz at SOC. The phone number is 313-882-9600, extension 250. The address to send a check is 17150 Waterloo, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230. You’ll be glad you did.

And if you have other nominees for living saints from our communities send me the information and I’ll contact them and write about them. 

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