Loving seniors for Valentine’s Day
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader Gate City Guild #42 Special Deputy Benitris Edwards, left, Princess Captain Kreshonda Armstrong, Royal Advisor Ron Kindle, Princess Dwana Tims and Grand Corresponding Secretary Ola Kindle hand out Valentine’s to residents at Golden Years Assisted Living on Sunday.
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader
By Dawn Burleigh
The Orange Leader
Valentine’s is not always a happy day for some, but for senior citizens, it can be an even lonelier day.
Gate City Guild #42 visited two nursing homes on Sunday to remind the residents that someone does care.
“I love giving back to the community,” Princess Captain Kreshonda Armstrong said. “Sometimes they do not have a lot of visitors. I like to be their light.”
This is the fifth year Armstrong handed out Valentine’s.
“One lady asked me to please come back and sit with us,” Armstrong said.
With many residents not having family, keeps Special Deputy Benitris Edwards coming back each year.
“I love it. I love what we do,” Edwards said. “It means a lot to me and to them. Some don’t have family.”
With each gift bag delivered, residents brighten as they welcomed the visitors dressed in red and white visited with each one.
“I love being able to help,” Princess Dwana Tims said. “I love being able to help people in the community.”
Gate City Guild members received as much as they gave on Sunday.
“For me, it is a ministry by giving and not receiving,” Grand Corresponding Secretary Ola Kindle said. “That in itself is wonderful. Helping Seniors… we will all travel that path.”
Chartered in February 2015, Gate City Guild #42 has given back to Orange since.
Gate City Guild #42 and Gate City Commandery is part of the Adopt-A-Street program in Orange. The group opted to adopt two streets instead of the usual one.
The guild has also collected toys and items for Shriners Hospital for Children in Houston. The items were taken to the hospital in December last year to help bring some holiday cheer to patients.
Gate City Guild is part of the Heroines of the Templar Crusade, the women’s auxiliary to Knight Templar. The Woman’s Crusade was established in Texas and its Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliate in the year 1924.
It was organized in St. Louis, Missouri in the year 1917.
