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“I had been a volunteer for the Dream Factory
of Central Illinois for the past 21 years, granting dreams to
chronically and critically ill children. Working as
Administrator/Owner of Home Health Care Plus, Inc. in Pekin,
I
often saw seniors who had a special dream that I would love to
help become a reality. Granting a special dream
is a way to
honor and thank seniors for all they have given us throughout
their lives.
I founded Dreams for Seniors Charity in July 2005 in order to
grant dreams to chronically or critically ill seniors. The age
stipulation is 68 years and older, but being a cancer survivor
myself, I have expanded the scope to include younger individuals
if they are critically ill.
I had been visiting a shut-in woman named Opal for 15 years and
learned she was turning 100 years old in two days. It’s at that
point that I decided to start a non-profit charity to grant
chronically or critically ill seniors dreams and that Opal would
be the first dream recipient!
I asked Opal, “If you could have any dream for your 100th
birthday, what would it be?” Opal has a wonderful sense of
humor, and answered, “A man, Debbie. I’m lonely.” We had a good
laugh and she later opted for three months of paid rent and a
month of free breakfast meals.
I’m proud to be a part of Dreams for Senior Charity for many
reasons, but perhaps most importantly because,
to date, 100
percent of the donations made to our organization have been used
to grant dreams.” |
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“My interest in granting dreams to seniors was
born from the work I’ve done granting dreams for children with
The Dream Factory. When Debbie approached me about starting an
organization for seniors which reflected the same basic ideals
The Dream Factory has for critically and chronically ill
children, I thought it was a wonderful idea.
Dreams for Senior Charity is a great way to pay back the seniors
in our community that have given so much of themselves without
asking for anything in return.
Having raised our children, I found I had a lot of time to
donate to worthwhile organizations and Dreams for Seniors
Charity fits the bill. Debbie and I have had a lot of fun
granting the dreams we’ve completed. I’m sure we have many years
ahead to grant many more dreams to seniors who have enriched
others lives.” |
