Mildred Patterson once gave a hand to the Emporia Senior Center. On Saturday, she got several hands in return.
Volunteer after volunteer arrived at Patterson’s front door Saturday morning, ready to help cut her grass or clean her flood-damaged basement or do anything else that needed doing. A friend waited to take her downtown to get a haircut and to The Villager for a new outfit. The haircut and the new clothes were donated.
It was, in short, her day. And even though she’d been told it was coming, the reality was something else.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Patterson said as she sat on the porch taking in the activity around her.
Patterson has lived in Emporia since the 1970s, all of it in the same Union Street house. But as she got older and less able to get around, it became more difficult for her to take care of the place. Her husband Pat had died 11 years ago and she herself is legally blind.
Then the heavy rains came last May. Patterson’s home was eventually inspected for flood damage and someone observed that she might need some help. Meanwhile, Ron Gugler, who makes regular wellness checks on her, made the same observation to the Emporia Senior Center.
The wheels started turning.
“She and her husband were part of the group that started the Emporia Senior Center years ago (in 1984),” director Susan Riley said. “When we got word that she was having difficulties, we decided that now it’s our turn to help her.”
Scott Warner, a visiting government worker, helped coordinate the effort. It would be a big one. The senior center would provide cleaning supplies, drinks and many of the “worker bees.” Emporia Construction would do some handyman work and give an estimate on the basement, and also wound up providing a dump truck when the use of a city dumpster fell through at the last minute. Volunteers and services showed up from a wide array of sources, from Sacred Heart Church to Sax Hair Care.
Dottie Ludwig, a former neighbor of Patterson’s, didn’t need to be asked twice. She had been friends with the Pattersons since the day their moving truck arrived.
“There was a truck in the yard and I was working in the flower bed,” Ludwig remembered. “I said ‘I’m Dottie — I’m next door.’ He said ‘I’m Pat — I’m going to be next door.’”
It was Ludwig who took Patterson away from the chaos for a while to have her hair done and pick out a new duster.
“I haven’t had my hair this long in ages,” Patterson told stylist Shawna Short as she sat down in a chair at Sax Hair Care. Soon Short and Patterson were chatting like old friends about places Patterson had lived, from Colorado to Anchorage, Alaska — the latter just in time to vote for statehood.
“It sure feels like it’s a ton lighter,” Patterson said afterward, moving her head from side to side. She grinned. “And she didn’t nick my ear once!”
At the house, workers got down to cutting limbs, cleaning debris, even raking leaves. The day of work became two days, as volunteers returned on Sunday to keep things going.
It was a huge improvement. But senior center board member Ray Terrell said so much more could be done.
“We need to be here about a week steady,” he said. “The unfortunate thing is, there’s a lot of homes like this in Emporia that need immediate care and (the residents) aren’t able to take care of it themselves. They’re a neglected society. But until something happens, nothing is done.”
Carol Westbrook, who volunteered through Sacred Heart, said she just wanted to help.
“It’s so easy to do this for friends and family,” said Patterson as she paused from raking. “I wanted to do something for someone I didn’t know.”