Seniors Calling Service: Stories from the Frontlines
Names* changed to protect confidentiality.
One of our seniors calling service volunteers wanted to share their story, straight from their experience calling a senior. Two lives, a connection that made a glowing impact not only on them, but left a lasting and living legacy for their loved ones and those who will carry their memories forward, the next generation.
Mandy*
In the end, it was just Mandy, the music and me. Her family had come and gone, and as I played the “Amazing Grace” and “Jesus Loves Me” video my granddaughter had made, I remembered our friendship and how Mandy had suffered in this life, and I prayed that the message of the music would bring blessing and comfort to her soul.
Mandy and I met through Compassionate Community Care, I as a telephone volunteer, and Mandy as a client with a heavy heart of fear and sorrow due to her own lung cancer and her son’s trauma, addiction, and homelessness.
We walked together, Mandy and I. Her favorite activity was shopping for others, and her favorite channel was the shopping channel. She bought wheeled running shoes for her granddaughter AND mine, and was so excited about the dolls she bought for her granddaughter, along with little bunk beds and a ladder! I sent her notes of encouragement, and ordered a new mattress for her when her apartment became infested with bedbugs. And when she moved to a friend’s house, she told me of the birds that nested in the yard and the deer that ate the landlord’s flowers.
Mandy marvelled at the depth of friendship that sprang from one phone call to Compassionate Community Care. I marvelled that God had brought us together. And although Mandy was “not religious,” as she often told me, things changed over the months as her illness progressed.
She phoned the churches in town and asked them to pray for her son. She took comfort in my prayers for him during the cold winter months. I sent her a booklet about God’s plan of salvation. She skipped the Scripture, but read the summary.
Mandy loved to hear my granddaughter sing “Amazing Grace” (which she said was her favorite song) and “Jesus Loves Me,” and began to ask for prayer.
As it got harder and harder for Mandy to breathe, I recited Psalm 23 (“The LORD is my shepherd”) to her during the hard times. I had her breathe with me, then “blow out the candles.” We had a little joke about the candles on her imaginary birthday cake. I’d say there was one candle remaining, meaning that she had one boyfriend and would have to keep blowing to get rid of him. Mandy had been married to a violent man, and had no wish for a boyfriend!
Then one day the text came from her daughter: Mandy was back in the hospital and not expected to make it.
My son took time off work and we drove almost straight through the night. When I got to the hospital, Mandy spoke a little, but was largely unresponsive. Family came and went, and I played my granddaughter’s music video on and off.
And then Mandy was gone, leaving me thankful for our friendship, our cheerful conversations and the very serious ones, and the privilege of walking with her through the valley.
We value the courage, openness, and commitment of our volunteers and seniors to connect, share, and build lasting relationships. These meaningful friendships enrich their everyday lives, families, and communities. If you would like to have one of our volunteers contact you or be a caller, please contact us at 519-439-6445, or email us at info@beingwith.org