Spirit of giving flourishes at Our Lady of Wisdom

   Anyone who assumes an older person’s giving days are over must not have met the energetic and selfless residents of Our Lady of Wisdom Healthcare Center.
   Community service, much of it performed humbly under the radar, is a daily happening at the Algiers facility.
   Service was given in a big way last spring, when Our Lady of Wisdom residents learned from their administrator, Bob Laster, that a large family in Baton Rouge was in dire need of transportation after the father had become physically immobilized in a swimming accident. Residents acted swiftly, voting to donate their used-but-still-operable bus to the family.
   Never mind that the donation meant residents would have to go without a bus until funds could be raised for a new one.

A meaningful sacrifice

   “When our residents heard the story (of the disabled man), they thought this family needed a bus more than they did,” said Rebecca Stahr, Our Lady of Wisdom’s director of mission advancement, noting that residents ultimately went without large-group transportation for two months.
   “We’d like to think that God saw our need (for a new bus) and filled it,” Stahr said. “We did what we thought was the right thing to do, and God blessed us with some anonymous donations from the Catholic Foundation.”
   Angela Paz sees the same energy and generosity of spirit in her role as Our Lady of Wisdom’s activities director. During a morning activity called “Coffee Talk,” residents gather to discuss various topics of interest, but often their hands are moving as much as their lips: they often use the time to sort and fold donated clothing for distribution to the needy. Recent gatherings were devoted to making Christmas cards for American soldiers serving overseas.
   “They’re always willing to do something,” Paz marveled. “They are very, very active. They’ve got a lot to give.”

   Last month, residents used their Coffee Talk sessions to fill hundreds of small bags with candy and stuffed animals. On Oct. 24 – “Boo Night” – the seniors distributed the bags, trick-or-treat style, to young family members and children of Our Lady of Wisdom staff.

Helpers abound

   “They take care of each other, too,” Paz said of residents. “If such-and-such person is not here, they’ll remind me. If somebody’s not eating in the dining room, they’ll call the nurse. They are wonderful to each other.”
   Paz said far from feeling a sense of entitlement, many of her seniors continue to practice a strong work ethic, staying behind after bingo and other activities to help the staff clean up.
   “They feel this is their home and have the right to make it nice,” Paz said.
   Corrine Authement, a Coffee Talk regular and one of 20 residents who volunteers at Mass as a member of Our Lady of Wisdom’s “Voices of Wisdom” choir, said she can be found most mornings under the gazebo with a book or a puzzle.
   But good luck finding her afterward.
   “My nurse has to chase me around the building to give me medicine because I’m always doing something,” said Authement, 77.
   “We have Carnival balls; we have passion plays; we go out shopping; we go to the aquarium; we go on the boat,” Authement said. “Sometimes you have to stop and lean back and rest!”
            Beth Donze can be reached at [email protected].