L. to R. Larry Silvia, Managing
Director of Hathaway Funeral Homes System, Charles
Sisson, Executive Director of Coastline, and William “BT” Hathaway,
owner of Hathaway Funeral Homes System
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L. to R. Steven Guillotte
Community Mainstream Program, David Tipping, Vice
President of Bristol County Savings Bank, Dennis
Kelly, President of Bristol County Savings Bank,
Charles Sisson Executive Director of Coastline
Elderly Services, Inc, Ann McCrillis Area Agency
on Aging Planner, Peter Sully, Senior Vice President
of Bristol County Savings Bank, and Jack Sylvia,
Vice President of Bristol Country Savings Bank
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A
Heartfelt Thanks
By Abrah J. Zion
February is Heart Month. It is an excellent time to focus
on getting and staying heart healthy. But that's not, pardon
the expression, the heart of this story. This story is,
though, close to our hearts and that's why I'm writing
it in February. It's about thanking everybody who gave
from their hearts to help us out this holiday season. Coastline
would like to take the time to thank those very generous
people who help us help our clients and make life better
for many people.
We are very fortunate to have a long list of people to
thank. I will try to not leave anybody out.
For nine consecutive years, the “Share the
Warmth” program
has been a huge success. The Donaghy-Hathaway Funeral
Home and The Fairhaven Funeral Home along with local radio
station WBSM sponsor “Share the Warmth” program. Along
with making donations themselves, the Homes, the radio
station, and the community collect new articles of warm
clothing and donate them to area elders through Coastline
Elderly Services, Inc. The Homes serve as the drop off
points for donations of warm clothing. All the clothing
are then brought to Coastline for distribution by Coastline
staff.
This year the Bristol Probate & Family Probation Employees,
led by Gloria Arruda, launched a charity drive that provided
grocery gift cards to needy Coastline clients. “This grocery
card drive during the holidays is a great way to address
their (seniors) basic of needs, food,” said Charles Sisson,
Executive Director of Coastline Elderly Services, Inc.
The drive raised $1020.00 in cards for our community elders.
Coastline also received an anonymous donation of $1500.00
for a total of $2520.00 in food cards.
Coastline has also been very fortunate to
be awarded a $10,000 grant from the Bristol County Savings
Charitable Foundation in Taunton . This grant will assist
us in screening elders to determine eligibility for over
1,100 federal, state, and other benefits that an individual
could qualify for. This program, known as Community Mainstream,
is a “benefits
check-up” which addresses a community need by providing
a public service to increase access to Food Stamps, Farmers
Market Coupons, Veterans Health Care, and various social
services to those individuals who are currently not being
served. The donation was presented by Dennis Kelly, President
of Bristol County Savings Bank and a host of Bristol County
Savings Bank Dignities.
For many years, Titliest has adopted Coastline and our
clients for their holiday charity. Coastline's care managers
and nurses submit the needs of their combined 25 most needy
clients to Titleist. The employees at Titleist fill those
needs. In the past these needs have included clothing,
bedding, and even microwave ovens.
In addition, Coastline Employees also donate to an in-house
giving tree and donate items to bring the spirit of holidays
to our community elders.
Last, but certainly not least, are all of
the wonderful agencies and people who volunteer their time
and efforts to make sure that all elders have a nice Thanksgiving
and/or Christmas Dinner. 1800 dinners were served on Thanksgiving
Day (the
Hunger Commission donated the turkeys) and 475 dinners were served on Christmas
day all thanks to the following agencies, businesses, and
organizations (in no particular order):
Holy Family Holy Name Church
|
Sunrise Bakery and Coffee shop |
Shaw's |
Pub 99 Dartmouth |
Sysco |
Sid Wainer and Sons |
Long Plain Baptist Church |
The Jewish Convalescent Home |
Alden Court |
Bedford Village |
Brandon Woods New Bedford |
Brandon Woods Dartmouth |
Hallmark Nursing Home |
Hathaway Manor |
Lady's Haven in Fairhaven |
Sacred Heart Nursing Home |
Savoy Nursing Home |
Sippican Nursing Home |
The Oaks |
New Bedford Council on Aging |
New Bedford Vocational Technological High School |
the greater New Bedford Jewish Community |
And again, thank you to the many individual
volunteers. We couldn't have done it without you.
The generosity of all of these agencies and
people are the heart of Coastline and of our community.
Thank you with much gratitude and appreciation from all
of us at Coastline Elderly Services, Inc.
