“You have taken a great burden off my shoulders. Your drivers are all so
pleasant and courteous that it is a pleasure to be associated with St. Luke’s.
The driver picks me up in the back of my house by a stairway to bring me
to the doctor’s, stays with me, and then drops me right back to my door.
I can’t ask for anything more than that. Every time I call Cecilia up,
she finds me a ride. When she can’t, she calls a cab, and then they even pay for it!
I feel bad about that really. You guys go above and beyond the call of duty.”
“The whole experience was beautiful and caring. What happened was my
doctor wasn’t in, so I was referred to somewhere very far away, but then it turned
out that they had an office right on Old Saybrook Road! St. Luke’s was
recommended by someone in my building, and they responded very promptly.
It was wonderful.”
“M…always has good stories. She’s my girl who goes grocery shopping for me,
well not my girl, but you know what I mean. She helps me a lot.
Always has time, always has a funny story. Yes, and always willing…
that’s what’s really nice. I do enjoy her very much.”
“B…Wonderful lady, I appreciate all that she does. She shops for me in addition
to working and taking classes. I’m so grateful for the service.”
“I’ve been very satisfied. I have had J for 5 years now. J and I get along good.
She knows what I like from the store. We kid around with each other.
I call her ‘Tinkerbell.’ There’s too much to say, but mainly, we get along good.”
“Beautiful. They’re great. When I was riding with them, the men were
very courteous and polite I am truly thankful and grateful and pray God’s richest
blessings on each and every one of you.”
“I’ve really enjoyed all the people there. Meeting everyone has been wonderful.”
“They’re so courteous, on time, and helpful…very helpful. I have no complaints.
J…, He noticed some screws were rusty, so he went out, picked up some new screws
and replaced them for me. It was just a very nice thing to do. I would never have
dreamed of asking, but he wanted to fix it for me to make it look nicer. They do nice
little things like that. It just makes you feel better. They’re such a kind group.
I haven’t met one grouch. It’s just such a struggle to get out. You don’t appreciate
being able to just jump into a car and drive yourself until you can’t. It’s a much needed service.”
“Very good. Since I can’t drive and have bad hearing and bad vision, it’s a lot of help.”
“I’m very grateful, very satisfied, and appreciative. What they do is such a big
consideration. The volunteers are superior. H was wonderful and cooperating to the utmost! He was just wonderful. …He gave so much service beyond what I could have expected. When I had to go out of the way out for an appointment in Cheshire for instance, Cecilia made sure I had a ride. Maybe some people can take a cab, but on
a fixed income, that can be difficult. I have family around to help, but work can
become time consuming, so that’s not always an option either.”
“When you do lose your independence, it’s a torment. You can’t just go out and hop in the car. And I have a walker now, so I’ve given up on the hitch hiking…You have to rely on the help of others. It’s just wonderful that these services are available for when people have nothing else to turn to. . I could never express my appreciation enough.”
“Absolutely excellent. I couldn’t get along without them.
May your kindness and generosity find its way back to you.”
“I have been granted such good fortune to be sent two wonderful people, B…and A…
to be my volunteers…They are two entirely different types of persons, but I find joy
in each. Guess I must have done something right in my life!”
B…and J…have been more than just food shoppers for me. They have become friends.
I commiserated with them when their twins left for college; they helped me learn the new way of doing the rosary. I’m so glad that they take time to help me!
“It is nice to know that someone is out there to help me when I need it. I have C.O.P.D. and I am on Oxygen 24/7. I have been struggling for years, and found your services have relieved me of so much stress finding help when I need it. Your people are so
Kind, Understanding, and Helpful. THANK GOD FOR YOU AND ST. LUKES.”
“I just wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the assistance
I received from “M.” In addition to the patience and willingness to assist me, she was
a wonderful companion. Her warmth and sincerity was a great comfort to me.
I truly believe that Angels live amongst us and she is one of them.”
“A special thank you to all of you for coming to my rescue on such short notice.
I have been fortunate, thus far, to be able to be independent, and when I found myself in this situation, it made me realize for the first time, just how fortunate we are to have volunteers such as you, to aid us in our time of need. Thank you again for your kindness and concern.”
“Thank you for all the joy your organization brings to my mother. She is enjoying your visitor program with M and her baby. She also appreciates the grocery shopping M does for her. Thank you for arranging all of this for her. Both M and M have been a great help and mom is enjoying their friendship.
“Thank you for the two angels you gave me!”
“I don’t drive anymore and was finding it very difficult to get to those appointments that were very important to my medical condition. I don’t know what I would have done without your help. Again I say thank you to you and your organization. I’m sure your service is a Blessing to others also. Thanks and God Bless.”
“I will never forget the service you gave me.
Your volunteers hold a special place in my heart. Thank you.”
“I am glad that I called my senior center and found out about your services. You do
good work and it is comforting to know that there are people who want to help others with these many services. Thank you to all the volunteers that have helped me.”
“Thank you all for your help in getting those free rides to my doctors which are out of town. I am unable to drive myself there. I cannot afford to pay somebody to take me there. I have no family. I live alone and am living on Title 19, food stamps, social security disability and Section 8 for my rent. One person who gave me a ride through St. Luke’s Eldercare Services bought me a yogurt at the hospital. God Bless You All.”
“I give my thanks to St. Luke’s services for medical appointments many times
and I can only say thanks for being a friend when needed…Thanks for your
good deeds and they are many.”
“I would like to thank everyone at St. Luke’s for providing me with much needed
transportation to and from my doctor appointments in North Haven and Newington Veterans Hospitals. I could never have been able to get to these urgent appointments without your generosity and willingness to help me. Thank you”
“Before I enter the hospital, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of the
wonderful people who have assisted me to continue living in my own home rather
than be confined in a nursing home where I would not be free to continue my life as
I am accustomed to. It is a blessing to me as I have lived here for 50 years.
Without the help of the staff and volunteers, I would simply exist.”
“Thank you for providing transportation. Both were long appointments,
yet W…was graciously patient…and a good driver!”
“I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for me. Your caring, your
kindness was the best medicine. You helped me gain my independence and
I thank you for that. A… special thanks to my drivers, J…, S…, and L….
They hold a special place in my heart. They’re the best.”
“J has been a wonderful volunteer and has done so much for me. Thanks again.”
“It’s a great feeling to know I have St. Luke’s to provide me with transportation
with wonderful drivers. A big hearty thank you!.”
“There are no words to really express the value of the “help” offered by this
organization. You have even used staff member to help when a volunteer was
unavailable. I have not had to miss a single medical appointment thanks to
St. Luke’s. God Bless all of you for your kind and loving care.”
“Thank you and all the wonderful volunteers at St. Luke’s for the many times
I’ve been taken to my local and out of town appointments. Since the Red Cross or city transportation is only for local purposes, St. Luke’s is a blessing to all who can no longer drive the highways and feel safe. My children all work out of town and my daughter lives out of state. I’m so grateful for your service and for being of help to those who are
on fixed incomes. Thank you for your kindness and compassion for all the senior
citizens of Middletown.”
“I have had three rides to doctors and dentists, and I can’t say enough about
my appreciation to the volunteers who are so helpful. I am very grateful.”
“I want to thank you for your help in finding me transportation to doctor’s
appointments and much more. I would like to especially thank J for her patience
with this 88 year old with failing memory. I won’t ever forget her name again
because of the joy she brought into my restricted life because of pain of movement.
My appreciation is boundless. Also, a big thank you to V who was a big help
and comfort with my visit to Dr. Kalayjian.
There again, when my memory failed,
she reminded me to mention my problem to the doctor.”
“The thing I appreciate the most about St. Luke’s Eldercare is the very pragmatic
concern demonstrated by your organization via the senior driving service. Most people who own and operate their own vehicles to get here and there sometimes don’t
understand how really difficult it is to ‘get around’ without one. While Middletown
has a pretty good transit system that serves senior transportation needs fairly well,
a lot of times, transit needs, as in my case, require a bit of extra help in being fulfilled. Your service truly is a ‘practical blessing!’”
“A volunteer from St. Luke’s has made the biggest different in my life. She’s been so kind, thoughtful and very responsible. She helps me with my shopping and important stops and on days I’m not well she shops for me. She’s there to assist me as I have problems with my balance. We get to exchange family events and news of the day. I really look forward to our weekly visits. St. Luke’s volunteers are out there to help.
“On two occasions when I needed transportation to the Yale Medical Clinic
in Guilford for my cancer radiation treatments, St. Luke’s was there for me.
On two other occasions where I needed transportation to the West Haven VA Hospital
for colonoscopy work done, St. Luke’s was there for me.”
“A volunteer from St. Luke’s has made the biggest different in my life. She’s been so
kind, thoughtful and very responsible. She helps me with my shopping and important stops and on days I’m not well she shops for me. She’s there to assist me as I have problems with my balance. We get to exchange family events and news of the day. I really look forward to our weekly visits. St. Luke’s volunteers are out there to help.”
“On two occasions when I needed transportation to the Yale Medical Clinic in Gilford
for my cancer radiation treatments, St. Luke’s was there for me. On two other occasions where I needed transportation to the West Haven VA Hospital for colonoscopy work
done, St. Luke’s was there for me.”
As an 84 year old Korean War veteran, I want to take this opportunity to say thank
you to all who made these vital health procedures happen in my life.”
“I was asking Cecilia about what would happen if there were ever any accidents,
and she said, you know, there never had been any occurrences. I thought to myself,
but I didn’t say to Cecilia at the time, with my kind of luck, this might be a whole
new first for them.”
J…That’s the name of the gentleman who drove me to Hartford.
I had never met this man before until the day he picked me up, and I was thinking
to myself, ‘What on earth am I going to talk with this man about?’ We never stopped talking! That day, I was supposed to go pick up my heart results, which the doctor
wasn’t kind enough to call me to let me know they weren’t ready yet. I was frustrated, but what can you do? We got back on the road. This was December 28, two days after the huge snowfall. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a chunk of snow falling off the bottom of your car. Then the car stopped. J turns to me and says, “Oh my God.”
I said, “What ‘oh my God?’ He just took his finger and turned the steering wheel left
and right while the car moved nowhere. The steering wheel had broken.
John lived in Higganum and I lived in Haddam. The tow was coming from Killingworth. We didn’t know what to do, so he called his wife C who was just as wonderful as he was. They’re just the nicest people on God’s good earth. I got home before John did of course, but about a half hour later, he called to say he got in all right and that he’s so sorry about everything. He was mortified. I kept saying, ‘No don’t worry…
I have this kind of luck! It’s not like I had anywhere to be!’ He felt terrible for me,
and I felt terrible for him.
People like that, there’s so few of them anymore. I know this might sound very
strange, but I have to say, it was one of the nicest afternoons I’ve had in a very long time. I feel like I’ve known them my whole life. We had a great deal in common.
I learned a lot more about C in the time we spoke than about people I’ve known
for years. Nobody was shy. It was a pleasant surprise.”
