Elsie Storey wanted to find a way to help her fellow senior citizens. The 83-year-old, who lives at the Seasons Retirement Community in Kenwood, came up with the idea of "Seniors helping Seniors."
The effort to collect clothing for the elderly won a national honorable mention for USA Weekend's "Make a Difference Day." Seasons was among several organizations and people honored Friday for their volunteer efforts on Oct. 25, 1997 -- Make a Difference Day. Seasons also won a $2,000 grant from Newman's Own Foundation, a Paul Newman charity.
Certificates of recognition and scholarships were awarded to seven Greater Cincinnati efforts Friday by Enquirer Publisher Harry M. Whipple on behalf of USA Weekend, Mr. Newman's foundation and the Enquirer. Two efforts won national recognition; five received local honors. An estimated 6,000 people participated in the Tristate.
Miss Storey's idea at Seasons was organized by Elaine Reed and Sister Joan Leonard. It included 90 volunteers, ranging in age from 75 to 96, who collected two large truckloads of shoes and clothing from their own closets for those in need.
"We're the doers," said resident Bertha Miller, originally from Hyde Park. Mrs. Miller emptied her closet to give clothes to other senior citizens in need and then cleaned out her daughter's closet. too.
LensCrafters in Cincinnati, in its third year participating in Make a Difference Day, was also nationally recognized.
Employees from the area and across North America visited nursing homes and homeless shelters and provided more than 8,500 eyeglass cleanings and adjustments. They also conducted 3,300 vision screenings at schools and health fairs.
Summit Country Day School was the Enquirer's top local winner. Led by Middle School Director David Youngblood and teacher Todd Forman, more than 300 middle school students and 70 parents and teachers volunteered at 18 sites.
"We tried to find activities to fit the different age levels -- whether painting, handing out meals in Washington Park or working in nursing homes," Mr. Forman said. "Plans are being made to make this a tradition."
There was a three-way tie for second place among Highland High School, the city of Fairfield and Miami University.
Highland High had 130 seniors assigned to volunteer posts, and Fairfield had 175 volunteers help clean up parks owned by the city.
Jeffrey Griffiths and Todd Stovall, students at Miami University, organized more than 450 people for an entire week of service. The mayor of Oxford and a number of faculty helped students clean up the city, hold food and clothing and blood drives, and raise money for Oxford organizations.
Lisa Siegel and her daughters Courtney, 6, and MacKenzie, 4, received local honorable mention. The girls did odd jobs to raise money and sacrificed Christmas and birthday gifts so they could make packages for the women and children of Bethany House.
"I don't want them to be poor," Courtney said.
