Senior Connections Senior Connections May 2019

SCHMIDT from Pg 1 So, they’ve been doing that! I take them to doctor’s appointments or shopping. Take them to Hutchin- son or Glencoe, if they need to get there. Whatever their needs are, even if they just need to have a talk.” She also works with Friends in the Kitchen, a program of cooking and nutrition classes for peo- ple age 55 and older which uses the facilities at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Bonnie downplays her contribution to the pro- gram, “I can’t say I do a whole lot. Basically, I show up to make sure that they can get in the church. Once in a while, they do need a helper. I did tell them, if they do, if one of them can’t be there, I would be willing to help them out. I said, ‘I ain’t doing the cooking, but I can do the scrubbing and the peeling, or that kind of stuff. Or just set up chairs’...Yeah, I help them out. It’s a lot of fun.” For Bonnie, the beneﬁts of volunteering are be- yond measure. “You get a lot of love, a lot of ap- preciation of what you’re doing. You make friends. You’re there for each other. I’m a big hugger. Watch out! I’m a big hugger ... It’s hard to put that into words. My heart sometimes just aches because I’m so glad to see people who want to reach out ... “For my neighbors, once in a while, I’ll bake treats and take them over. Neighbors don’t tend to be in contact anymore. You know, years ago, you knew everybody in the neighborhood. The women would have their coffee, but you don’t see that any- more. A lot our neighbors are young ones; they are all working. I feel especially they are the ones we need to reach. “So, there was a time when I made like a hun- dred pies, apple pies, every summer. I would walk around the neighborhood, and I just gave them away. That was my way of getting my foot in the door to get to know them. “How are you going to get to know your neighbors, if you don’t interact with them? I think that’s very impor- tant, whether it’s at your church, or in your neighborhood, or in your commu- nity. “I’d like to do more. My other vision is I would like to go to all the busi- nesses in town and show some type of appreciation for their service. I have not yet come up with the right idea, but I’m hoping, in time ... I like to bake. I thought maybe I could make some goodies, like some blueberry mufﬁns, to take in and tell them, ‘Thank you. Here’s a treat for you.’ I don’t know. That’s kind of a goal I’ve got set. I just haven’t ﬁgured it out yet. Because I think we need to recognize each other, those who do some of the good. Not just people like me. There’s a lot of people out there who need to be rec- ognized.” Clearly, this 70-year-old dynamo of generosity and community spirit shows no sign of slowing down. Instead, she issues a challenge to other Minneso- tans, “I like to see people just pitch in and do what they can ... I would like to see some young people [get involved], because I’m not going to be doing this forever. I think it is so important ... That’s my story.” �� W is h it A w ay b y C a lli ng To day • Video Inspection & Location • Maintenance Agreements • Commercial, Residential, & Farm • Hydro Jetting • Environmentally Safe Products Call Genie Drain Cleaning today! Your drain and sewer specialists FAST, EFFECTIVE, SERVICE �� (320) 587-4110 www.geniedrains.com Senior Connections HJ.COM Senior Connections May 2019 3

Senior Connections Senior Connections May 2019 | Page 3