“We need transportation,” says Olga, a lively 74-year-old who participates in the Older Adults Program at the Outreach Community Center in Carol Stream. “There are a lot of people like me who could not get out of their apartments if not for the bus from Outreach.”
The Older Adults Program has provided a grocery bus to the senior citizens in the area surrounding the center since 2003. “We started off with one person—Olga,” says Linda Hawkins, Older Adults Coordinator. “The next week we had two. And then the idea took off and numbers kept growing—now we have anywhere from 28 to 35 seniors who ride the grocery bus.”
The bus recently broke down for the last time, leaving vulnerable seniors like Olga at risk of losing basic necessities.
Olga used to walk from North Avenue to the Jewel store on Geneva Road (about a mile, one way) to buy a few groceries, and she’d walk to her doctor (about the same distance), as well. But, she says, she can’t do it anymore. “We are on limited income and a taxi is out of the question,” she says. “Without the bus, how would be get to doctor’s appointments? How would we get groceries?”
More Than Groceries
Olga relies on OCC for crucial transportation. But she admits she needs the Older Adults Program for more than just a ride. “It’s horrible if you are locked in all day, day after day,” she says. “It’s no good if you are home all alone all the time. You go crazy.”
The Older Adults Program is all about relationships, says Linda. “Thirty-three percent of the older adults in the area surrounding the Center have no one to call in an emergency,” she says. “The seniors need each other, and they need Outreach.”
“Thanks to Outreach, I can get out and meet people,” Olga says. “I’ve developed lots of friendships, and the activities they hold keep me busy throughout the week.”
Without Outreach I don’t think I would be sitting here talking to you,” admits Olga. “Many times I felt I was up against the wall. If it wasn’t for Linda and Outreach, I think I would have jumped off a building.”
Dreaming Big
While a new bus is desperately needed for Olga and other older adults to get to and from the grocery store and doctor’s appointments, Linda is dreaming of even more benefits.
Many activities and classes are currently held at Colony Park (a seniors’ apartment complex in Carol Stream), but a new bus would allow the seniors to attend more events at OCC. “We would like to see a fully functioning senior center at OCC,” says Linda. “We have the facility space and the ability. We could hold lunch here every day; hold classes like crocheting, art, and Bible study before and after lunch; and have a large group exercise class in our gym—that gym sits empty for half the day!”
She continues, “If we could pick people up and drop them off, we could do so much more.”
If you’d like to help seniors like Olga by contributing to a new bus, click here to donate. Click here for more information.