Warming Shelter Is A Sign Of Compassion In Action

To The Reader’s Forum:

I worked last night at our CODE Blue Warming Shelter, a temporary shelter that protects those experiencing homelessness from the extreme cold temperatures outside. The following donations came into the Center, “unsolicited” in ONE night. Homemade pasta, cheese, Italian bread, four different kinds of homemade cookies, a huge tray of brownies (homemade), body wipes, fruit snacks, women items, wash clothes and hand towels, applesauce snack drinkies, hand-warmers, and little packs of snack cookies. TRUTH! I see and feel the gratitude on the faces of our guests, the benefactors of our donors’ love.

A faithful person, I am quite certain that God is waiting smack dab at the entrance of our Warming Shelter to grace the hundreds and hundreds of donors, our shelter’s angels on earth, through the door to uplift our guests and glorify a higher power that lifts peoples’ spirits and conveys that their lives matter.

I thought to myself, why so much unsolicited love over these past chilly months. In part, I believe that people give in times of struggle or political uprising primarily to address the urgent, visible needs of those caught in the cross-fire and channel their feelings of powerlessness into compassionate action and express their personal values during these calamitous times. This behavior, often called “rage-giving” when linked to politics, or “emergency donations when triggered by disaster”, serve as a form of civic engagement that uplifts people from their bad times to feel that they are making a difference in their community.

Whatever the reason or internal emotion that drives this goodness, from the bottom of my soul and our leadership and staffs’ hearts at ROME, we are humbled to fall on our knees and say THANK YOU! God Bless You! Today, each and everyone one of you, our community’s kind-hearted, changed the lives of those who believed their lives didn’t matter. You personally shut down that notion and demonstrated, oh but your life does matter – it matters to me.

Linda Johnson,

Jamestown

CODE Blue Warming Shelter employee

Heritage Village Chooses

Compassion Over Criticism

To The Reader’s Forum:

I hope that if you are reading this, you or your loved ones never need to live in a nursing home. I hope you are never forced to make that agonizing decision for your mom or dad, or find yourself in a hospital bed waiting for a skilled nursing bed to open up while the world feels like it is closing in.

But for many, that day comes. As someone who has dedicated 26 years of my life to working at Heritage, I feel compelled to address the disheartening negativity and public criticism directed at our staff and management following the news of the Heritage Village closure in Gerry.

It is easy to criticize from behind a keyboard. However, until you have experienced the care that must be provided to a loved one who no longer recognizes you, who can no longer feed themselves, or who needs help with the most basic dignity of a shower, you cannot truly understand the weight our team carries.

We are facing a national staffing crisis that can no longer be ignored. It isn’t a lack of heart or leadership; it is a lack of hands. The staff who have stayed have done so because they love these residents with their whole hearts. They are the ones who provide comfort when the world becomes confusing and frightening for our seniors.

Heritage Village has served Chautauqua County families for generations, and its residents are now facing the life-altering stress of relocating to a new home. They do not need community vitriol; they need grace. They need us to respect the people who have been their lifeline for years.

In this moment, you get to be part of the problem or part of the solution. I urge our community to choose wisely. Let’s honor the legacy of care in Gerry by choosing compassion over criticism.

Sincerely,

Melissa Thies

Portland

Agreeing With Columnist’s Thoughts On Trump

To the Reader’s Forum:

Randy Elf’s February 6th column is right on. The only thing I would add is if President Trump was associated with the cure for cancer Dems would find a way to attack him.

Mike Coon

Summer resident

Dewittville