DPU students make difference to seniors

To the Editor:

Throughout this past year many DePauw University students have assisted the Putnam County Senior Center by visiting, laughing, forming positive relationships with us, and helping with tasks which are sometimes difficult for older adults.

As Bill Eggers, president of the Putnam County Senior Board of Directors, often says, "We are their grandmas and grandpas!"

Students have assisted the Center in diverse ways. Students shampooed our carpets on United Way's Day of Service and representatives of the women's basketball and field hockey teams and others served coffee and visited during Thursday breakfasts.

The seniors obviously perked up when the students shared tables with them. Some students made homemade noodles with us, which was definitely a first for them. They learned to make them from scratch and rolled and cut the noodles. Later during a taste test, the students tried to find the noodles that they had made and cut. We all laughed and enjoyed the moments. Some even took noodles back to DePauw to share with their friends!

Sometimes students served Friday dinners at the Center and met many others from our community and local businesses. The men's basketball team, a pitcher from the men's baseball team, and representatives from fraternities cleaned and organized our basement and helped move furniture as needed.

A Bonar Scholar and other members of fraternities and sororities also participated at the Center on a regular basis. Two young ladies arrived nearly every Friday and knew our needs so well they didn't even have to ask what needed to be done or the location of the vacuum or other cleaning supplies.

Students always arrived with smiles on their faces, a willingness to serve, stories to tell, ears to listen to the seniors and arms willing to help with any task.

The students mentioned above are dear to our hearts. We know many of their names and activities and often go to see them play particular sporting activities. We know their hometowns, majors at college, and their smiles. We salute their accomplishments, including a volunteer who recently won a Fullbright Grant, others who are about to graduate, and ones who found great success in the classroom and at competitive sporting events.

The students have truly made a difference at the Senior Center and in the Greencastle community.

We are appreciative of Adam Cohen, Gigi and Bill Fenlon, Jennifer Edwards and Pat Aikman, who have encouraged students to serve at the Senior Center.

In conclusion, to DePauw President Casey, we just want to say "thank you" to you and let you know how wonderful your students have been to all of us at the Senior Center. Our community is fortunate to have such excellent volunteers.

We wish students continued success in every endeavor; they are on a good pathway of service to others.

As Helen Keller said, "Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves."

Sharon Pitcock

Putnam County Senior Center