Friends for Life » Quality of Life Stories

The Big Texas Christmas Present – December 10th

claire — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:04:03 +0000

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, Friends for Life, Carter Bloodcare, and Big 95 have teamed up for the “Big Texas Christmas Present”
to benefit Gifts for Grannies and Grandpas too! We are collecting items for elderly and disabled people who have no one to remember them during the holiday season. Donations will be accepted at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum Saturday, December 10th, and anyone making a donation will receive free admission to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame – one admission per item. Mi Familia Car Club will have classic cars on display, there will be arts & crafts for kids, Carter Bloodcare will be accepting blood donations, and Big 95 will broadcast live from 1-3pm. Thanks for helping to make a difference!

Happy Endings

inez — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 21:38:55 +0000

We have a 27 year old client who was abandoned by his momma when he was very young. He has cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and juvenile diabetes. Recently we moved him in with a family that has a foster care home for adults with disabilities. They are very caring and nurturing. He was so happy with his new home that he told his foster father he didn’t want to move any time soon. The foster father said, ‘don’t worry, we’ll grow old together’. Yesterday at his new Dayhab, he baked his first cake for St. Patrick’s Day. His large new extended family all love him and his foster mom is working with him every day on his speaking and healthy eating. He is looking forward to his first family vacation this summer. Praise God for caring, nurturing people to care for adults with disabilities and give them the family they never had.

They are not Forgotten

inez — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:18:43 +0000

After discovering that many of the veterans living in nursing homes never get to enjoy the celebrations of Veteran’s Day or be recognized, we decided to let them know that they are not forgotten and are special also.

Friends for Life partnered with the We Care Team of Dyess AFB and the LSF Foundation to plan a recognition ceremony for the veterans at Care Inn of Abilene Nursing Home. There were twelve gentlemen living there that had served in the armed services and they were placed at the front of the activity room during the event. The ceremony began with an opening prayer and the residents, staff and special guests all said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang America, The Beautiful.

Two officers of the Dyess We Care Team made the presentation of “Not Forgotten Coins”, specially designed by the LSF Foundation, which were encased in medallions to each recipient. Also, certificates of appreciation were given to them and signed by Colonel David Been, Commander of the 7^th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB. Colonel Been addressed the group and expressed his personal appreciation for the veterans’ service in the military of the United States of America. He expressed to them, “Because of you, my children are free today.” He also brought fifteen other officers with him to share in the festivities and congratulate the recipients.

The ceremony ended with everyone singing “God, Bless America”. It was a very emotional event and the veterans were so proud of their awards. Most of them continue to wear the medallions or display them in their rooms.

Friends for Life believes making people feel special gives them joy and enhances their quality of life. Plans are to make these presentations to all of the nursing homes we work with in the near future.

You Are Not Forgotten from Kendall Pruett on Vimeo.

FRIENDS FOR THANKSGIVING

inez — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:49:02 +0000

Friends for Life volunteers gathered early Thanksgiving morning to package dinners. Then volunteers delivered Thanksgiving Dinners to 332 homebound elderly and people with disabilities. We are so thankful for all the people who come together to help us remember these folks each year!

Megan Willome wrote a wonderful story about what our Friends for Thanksgiving Program meant to her family. You can read her article in November’s issue of the WACOAN Magazine.

Fall Festival

Sherry — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:46:46 +0000

We had so much fun at the Fall Festival!! Lots of fun costumes, food and games. Everyday is like a celebration at Friends For Life!!! We have a blast together!!!

Making Jello

Sherry — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:54:44 +0000

In cooking class we decided to make a jello dessert that resembled the colors of Fall. It was a success! Our clients enjoyed eating their creation!!! Yummy!!!

HOT Fair & Rodeo

Sherry — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:41:18 +0000

We had so much fun at the HOT fair!!! Our clients enjoyed learning how milk is processed and took a tour of the barn animals.

Her Son

inez — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:11:33 +0000

Christmas was coming and a volunteer called me to say he wanted to visit someone Christmas Day. He wasn’t going to be able to go home to see his mom and dad over Christmas and he thought it would be nice to spend the day with a lonely senior. I asked him to visit an elderly lady that I knew would be alone. The volunteer came by my office after Christmas to tell me that they had had such a wonderful visit. He had spent most of Christmas Day with her. “Just one thing, though. She thought I was her son. I couldn’t bear to tell her I wasn’t. It just seemed to give her so much joy. I hope that was okay.”

The Bible

inez — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:51:26 +0000

When the volunteer walked into her room at the nursing home, she was greeted by a very excited resident who asked, “is that a Bible? Please read it to me. I came here three years ago. I had been taken by ambulance to the hospital and there was no time for them to get my Bible. I came here from the hospital. I never got to go home and there was no one to bring me my things. I have tried to remember as many verses as I could. Please read it to me.” After reading the Bible to her, the volunteer went to the store and bought her new friend a large print Bible.

Please don’t forget me.

inez — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:56:33 +0000

Before we know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here and we have thousands of people to reach out to this holiday season — people who are alone. Most don’t have family to remember them. We have a program called Friends for Thanksgiving where we deliver Thanksgiving Dinners to homebound elderly and people with disabilities. These are folks who wouldn’t otherwise have anyway to celebrate Thanksgiving. We also have a program called Gifts for Grannies & Grandpas, too and each year we collect, package and distribute thousands of gifts to lonely people who need to be remembered, not just at Christmas but on their birthdays and other holidays during the year. If you’d like to help and live close you could help collect, wrap or deliver packages. If you’d like to help and you don’t live close, you can could call a local nursing home to see who will be alone this Christmas or help us reach out to more people by making a contribution.

Above are just a few of the notes we’ve received from clients. I just wanted you to know how much this means to them. I took their names off to protect their confidentiality.