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New campuses coming soon in St. John and Elmhurst! |
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Sign up to receive a FREE email copy of our most recent newsletter! In each full-color issue you can read about seniors enjoying life and making a difference -- plus, you'll learn about upcoming events and opportunities. |
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Peace, Hope, and Love don’t always come easy |
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She fought for peace. Imagine a woman who spent two years in the Army Reserves in Iraq. She endured long days and grueling conditions, trying to make a difference in the world. When she was injured, her active service ended, and she came home to fight a different battle. She almost lost hope. Back home in the States, she faced months of rehab and piles of medical bills. The pool of money she had in savings was drained by the cost of care. The monthly check from the VA was not enough to cover the basic costs of living. Having served her country in a cause she believes in, she now spends her days alone, trying to continue to be a mother to her 14-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter. Someone reached out in love. When Barb Chlipala, a branch manager for Rest Haven Homecare Solutions, met with this wounded soldier, Barb was moved to tears. “I couldn’t believe the sacrifices this woman had made. She fought for our freedom, for our peace! And now she needed help, and no one knew about it,” says Barb. “It broke my heart.” Barb felt the same calling her client had felt in Iraq—the calling to make a difference. The VA who had referred the injured soldier to Rest Haven was willing to cover the cost of just 20 hours of care each week. Barb knew she needed more, so Barb shared her story with other Homecare Solutions staff and with Rest Haven’s corporate office. In time for Christmas, staff donated enough time and money to provide a full eight hours per day of homecare for the first six months of 2008. In addition, Rest Haven paid for counseling visits for the family at a local Christian counseling center. Sometimes love doesn’t feel like it has done enough, and Rest Haven keeps looking for ways to do more. “She does appreciate the care she is receiving from our staff,” says Barb. “And at least now she’s not completely alone. I know we can’t give her back the life she sacrificed, but it’s nice to know we could do something for her.” |
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