Elkhart County Resident

... A REAL Story

“I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!”  Eula has lived in her house in Elkhart since 1970, and she raised her two sons there.  She sits at her dining room table, her face beaming as she talks about how her sons visit her every day in that house where they grew up.

At 85 years old, Eula has significant health issues and is on oxygen.  In years past, Eula cleaned houses for a living, but today she has trouble even moving around her own home.

Fortunately, REAL Services is able to help Eula remain independent and not live the rest of her life in a nursing facility. One of REAL Services’ Elkhart County Home Care Managers arranged for in-home assistance three times each week. Since Eula is unable to go to the grocery, nutritious meals are delivered to her home, thanks to a partnership between REAL Services and Elkhart General Hospital.

When she needed help to keep her heat going during the winter, she received help from REAL Services Energy Assistance Program in Elkhart. At that time it was discovered that Eula’s furnace and water heater both leaked carbon monoxide. REAL Services quickly turned to its Weatherization Program and made arrangements to have new, energy-efficient units installed. Rich from REAL Services Weatherization Program explained that Eula would have eventually died of carbon monoxide poisoning if the units had not been replaced.

Eula is just one of almost 11,000 Elkhart County residents who received assistance from REAL Services last year. REAL Services relies on the services of skilled and unskilled volunteers to help clients like Eula. If you or someone you know can help by doing odd jobs around the house or assisting an older adult with everyday chores, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Allen Holt at allen2@realservices.org.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.givesomethingreal.com.