Seniors’ Community Involvement Benefits Many

July 24, 2010 by John Rook

Priscilla Batty has been a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution Lady Fenwick Chapter in Cheshire for years.
She has helped organize events. She has assisted in raising funds for scholarships and then presented those awards to deserving students. She has taken part in ceremonies to honor men and women of the community who have exemplified the patriotic traditions the DAR hold dear.
She has done most of this at a time when others might be more interested in simply retiring to a quiet corner of the world and shaking off any sort of responsibility.
“You have to keep active in order to keep yourself sharp,” insists Batty. “If you don’t stay active, you’ll end up just rusting away.”
Batty is simply one of hundreds of local seniors who dedicate their time and their knowledge to helping local organizations raise funds, fight for a cause, educate the public, or simply provide a fun and enjoyable time for others. From the Cheshire Rotary Club to the Lion’s Club, to church and synagogue organizations to Town of Cheshire departments, seniors every day help to make Cheshire the community it has been, providing an unmatched amount of hours and a seemingly limitless well of knowledge to help make a town feel more like a home.
“I really enjoy what I do,” said Mary Ellen Kania, the curator for the Cheshire Historical Society. “I am fascinated by it. I know a lot of people will say ‘Mary Ellen, you spend a lot of time up there,’ but I really like it.”
For years, Kania worked at a regular job and helped to raise a family. However, after retirement, she was looking for something to occupy her time and the Historical Society began to fill those hours.
“I find myself spending more and more time up there,” she admitted.
There is always something to do, including the current project involving the numerous papers filed with the society, and always something to learn, which is what Kania insists she finds most appealing about her “work.”
“When I am up there, I really do learn something new every day,” she explained. “It might not be something that you say, ‘Oh, I need to call the newspaper,’ but it is always interesting.”
Another interesting aspect of her position is the people she meets. Almost weekly, Kania is fielding calls from individuals, both local and out of state, who are interested in finding out more about their families.
Curious residents also routinely stop in to inquire about something—meetings Kania always finds intriguing.
“If they are stopping in to a
historical society, chances are they are going to be an interesting person with an interesting story,” she said. “You meet people here that you wouldn’t anywhere else.”
For Batty, one of the true benefits of her volunteerism remains the relationships she has formed. Members of the DAR routinely stay with the group for years, many times for life, she explained.
“You form bonds and you form friendships,” she said. “You tend to grow together and become very close.”
The DAR is celebrating 100 years in existence in Cheshire in 2010, and with a membership of over 60, Batty pointed out that residents of all ages remain active in the group. However, that constant community involvement is important for seniors, in Batty’s mind, because it keeps people on the go.
“You can’t just sit around,” she said. “You have to be out there and it is something I really enjoy.”
Few seniors in Cheshire dedicate their time solely to one particular group or cause. Batty explained that DAR members also volunteer at hospitals, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, and local churches, and even help to clean up parts of their neighborhoods.
Mickey Wheeler can trace her community service back through the years, commenting that the desire to help others started well before she retired.
“I was brought up to volunteer,” explained Wheeler. “It has been something I’ve been doing all my life. I believe you have to do something to help other people.”
A DAR member just like Batty, Wheeler is also very active with First Congregational Church and has been taking part in a special program to help bring joy to children for years.
“I knit teddy bears,” she explained. “I’ve been told that I have done about 200.”
Putting together the teddy bears began as an outreach program where church members gathered together around Christmas time to assemble packages for families. In looking at each, Wheeler and her fellow volunteers decided the finishing touch would be a toy.
“We just thought that would be nice to include,” she stated.
Like Batty and Kania, Wheeler talked about the importance of remaining “active” in the community, stating, “If you don’t, you lose everything.” She also mentioned the bonds she had formed with many different people over the years.
However, she added that the main goal remains to help people, and that has been the motivating factor in keeping her going for all these years.
“You have to do something,” she remarked. “I like to help people as best I can.”