“Who will you be when you can no longer do what you once did and your body is no longer what it once was. Maybe we need to stop being so afraid of getting old and start cherishing life for the journey that it is. When we look past the fears of getting old and begin to see seniors for who they are, there’s a friend to be made, a story to be told and wisdom to be learned from someone who deserves to be loved valued and treated with dignity even if they need help with the simplest of task. At the Good Samaritan Society – Denton Village and Lake Forest Village it’s about living the whole of life and seeing that in Christ’s love everyone is someone whether they are an English teacher or passionate artist.
“Helen, an English professor at the University of North Texas, was tired of faculty meetings and trying to teach the younger generation the importance of the written word. So she retired. Little by little she began to do less and less, and spent most of her days in her home alone watching television.
“’I was waiting to slip gently into eternity,’ Helen said.
“Then in 2012 after double bypass surgery, she found Good Samaritan Society – Denton Village. Denton Village brought life back into Helen. She was asked to join a book club, teach a writing class, and volunteer in the community general store. She felt needed. She was asked to be a participant in life again. Denton Village made her feel like she was someone again.
“Beth, a talented artist whose father began to teach her how to paint at age five, says painting means more to her now than it ever did. In 2011 Beth’s family moved her to Good Samaritan Society – Lake Forest Village after she suffered a fall that caused a slight memory loss. Beth didn’t want to leave her home. She didn’t want to lose her independence. It was at Lake Forest Village though that she began to attend a monthly painting class. She went because she loved to paint but what she got was so much more. Painting helped to improve her mood, enhance her memory and it was then she was able to recall family memories, vacation destinations and the important details of life.
“’Painting just makes me feel better,’ Beth says.
“At Denton Village and Lake Forest Village, we are one family with two locations serving the community of Denton together. North Texas Giving Day is vital to our organization because it provides seniors like Helen and Beth a place to feel loved, valued and at peace as they enjoy living their life to the fullest. Over the last three years our organization has increased its support on North Texas Giving Day from $17,000 to $28,000 to benefit both campuses efforts to create a space where seniors can experience the fullness of life.
“Old age isn’t something to be celebrated with greeting cards, but with our whole hearts and souls, for there by the grace of God is each of us. Please consider helping to support The Good Samaritan Society Denton Village or Lake Forest Village communities on Thursday, September 22. Your support will help to create peaceful spaces at Denton Village and Lake Forest Village where seniors can age well. So get up and give on September 22 to support seniors at Denton Village or Lake Forest Village by commenting which community to support in the comments portion of your gift.”
-By Laura Wells, Director of Resource Development at Lake Forest Village
* Photos provided by Good Samaritan Society ______
In seven years, North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $119 million into the North Texas community. In 2015, $33 million was raised through more than 118,000 gifts benefiting over 2,000 nonprofits.
On Thursday, September 22, support Good Samaritan Society by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay
Todd Norden says
Very much appreciate your work. Please stay in touch. And have a great day. Keep up the great work. We thank you.