Senior citizens’ volunteer work draws praise
Louise Weech of Lakewood holds her Senior Hero Award.
LAKEWOOD- Louise Weech never let anything get in her way, especially not developmental disabilities.
The Lakewood woman was one of the first in Jefferson County to buy a home with a disability mortgage loan. And she was the first to pay it off.
Weech is a founder of the Kiwanis Aktion Club for folks with disabilities and she pushed Regional Transportation District officials to install curb cuts and to provide lifts on buses to make access easier for the elderly and people in wheelchairs.
She also knits baby blankets for Baby Rocks, knits scarves for members of the U.S. military and volunteers for the talking books library.
All that and an irrepressible smile.
Now, she’s a hero, too.
The Jefferson County Council on Aging and the Seniors’ Resource Center say so.
The organizations recognized Weech and seven others as recipients of the 11th Annual Senior Heroes Award at a reception at Lakewood’s Clements Community Center Thursday afternoon.
“There are thousands of seniors who volunteer each year in Jefferson County’s non-profit organizations, schools, hospitals, service clubs and in civic leadership capacities, and in many other ways that too often go unrecognized,” said John Zabawa, president and CEO of Seniors’ Resource Center.
“Seniors have given back more than their share to our communities and made a positive future possible for us all.”
Scott Storey, District Attorney for Jefferson and Gilpin counties, was recognized for establishing programs to protect senior citizens, including the Community Against Senior Exploitation project. Storey was named the groups’ Elected Official of the Year for his commitment “to keeping our seniors safe,” Zabawa said.
“This is a very meaningful thing to me because … working hard for seniors in our community has been a priority for me,” Storey said.
Others singled out for their volunteers work were:
* Marie Roush of Lakewood, who plans, and cooks Saturday brunch at Willow Glen Senior Residences, maintains several community garden sites and helps other gardeners with their plots. She is a member of a quilting group that makes lap blankets for residents of nursing homes and recently finished a box full of quilted baby blankets for teenage moms. She is part of the Colfax Marathon volunteer clean-up crew. Roush also takes a lead role in a number of health and fitness programs.
*Dean Cassady of Arvada, who participates in a number of Senior Resource Center Programs including the Home Repair Program, helping an average of two to three center clients a week with such things as installing safety bars, building railings, doing electrical and plumbing repairs and installing television converter boxes. Cassady also worked in the center’s Snow Removal Program, clearing sidewalks for four families. He also volunteers for yard work duties and other outdoor maintenance. He is part of the center’s food delivery program.
*Barbara Dalton of Arvada, who helps foreign-born adults learn English and has recruited other volunteers to the program. Her diligence has helped more people get into the English as a Second Language program, lowering the number on the waiting list for a class. Dalton also has helped her students overcome other barriers to their assimilation into American culture.
*Jane Wester of Evergreen, a volunteer at Hiwan Homestead for more than 30 years. She serves as a Museum receptionist, assists with the Behind the Scenes curatorial group and helps with planning and staffing special events. She has been the newsletter editor for the Jefferson County Historical Society and played a key role in many of the Museum’s early exhibits.
*Nancy Tucker of Littleton, who serves on the Senior Resource Center’s Board of Directors and is chair of the Legislative Advisory Council. Tucker is a public policy advocate for mental health issues and has researched key issues and contacted legislators on behalf of senior citizens. Tucker is president of the Lochmoor Water and Sanitation, District, co-chair of Citizens for Fort Logan, is on the fund-raising and executive committees of the MINDS Groups, is secretary for The Legal Center and is chairwoman of the Legal Center’s PAIMI Advisory Council.
*Jan Lindgren of Wheat Ridge, who mentors women, serves on the Senior Advisory Council at the Wheat Ridge Senior/Community center. She promotes Enterprise Wheat Ridge and gets others involved in volunteer activities in the community.
*Lois Fenimore of Arvada is known as the “pied piper of recreation” for her dedication. Fenimore has volunteered more than 2,025 hours of her time at the Community Recreation Center of the Apex Park and recreation District. She teaches Mahjongg and Pinochle and is an assistant at fitness events and yoga classes. She provides rides to the center for its patrons and serves on the center’s advisory council.
