By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
Los Alamos Retired & Senior Organization

My Love Warriors staff at the Los Alamos and White Rock senior centers and our Donor Angels, have made week two of our shut down as uplifting as a pandemic could be during hard times.

While I write to keep the community updated, I also write, I assume in a therapeutic way, and we might not realize it, to document our living history.

We instantly started a program called Senior Services, to allow my staff to shop for our members and pick up prescriptions. We also allowed community members to donate funds for the program, canned goods and non-perishables or send cards, letters and notes of encouragement to brighten the day of our elders.

Local Facebook pages have allowed for small instant requests that are imperative needs for people that might seem trivial. I had a need for Minute Rice for a senior with dietary needs, the shelves were bare for days. I put the request out and the next day, several boxes arrived on site.

If you have ever cared for someone that is frail and elderly, especially while the world is melting around you, a little Minute Rice goes a long way.

I keep having flashbacks to the cartoon Underdog. “Here we come to save the day!” To those who are younger … as the kids would say, Google it. The difference is like the old adage of throwing the pebble in the pond, I get to see the ripples in action.

I am eager to get to work and see what is in the donation box. We wipe it off with disinfecting wipes, place it on a table, and get it to the people who need it.

The Senior Services project has requested donations by Pay Pal online or through the mail with Senior Services in the memo line. We welcome the donation of Smith’s or Co-op Market gift cards and they have arrived at both sites. I think today we are expecting some fresh eggs, because when seniors tell us their grocery needs, there are some items we warn them might not be on the shelves.

Yesterday the need was for a frail senior who is vegetarian and gluten free. Since I am neither I posted the request and said while the Minute Rice was an instant need, I had a senior who would have a longer-term request. I always maintain confidentiality, but the questions and suggestions were immediate. I confessed I didn’t know much but would know more on Thursday.

The questions kept coming, and I limit myself to time online because home is family time. So, I confessed again, the senior started to cry as we were speaking, the thought that someone could be so kind, when we didn’t know each other. I asked them to take their time, make a small list and we would create a plan tomorrow.

Thank you everyone, I’ve never been happier to live here. Oh, and this morning the great crew at Morning Glory Doughnuts and the Los Alamos Police Department have doughnuts waiting for us. They are doing their part to lift spirits.

James at Aspen Copies has printed our newsletter early and I can’t wait to get that in the hands of the United States Postal Service. All of my people don’t do technology, so today is a very important day.