Last month Carl Heter celebrated his 102nd birthday. The occasion presented a wonderful opportunity for Warwick’s Friendly Visitor Program (FVP) Volunteer Ann Briscese to meet Carl in person for the very first time.
Heter lives alone on the same block in Florida, NY where he was born and lived his entire life. In 2018, he had shared that his days were very long. He said his mind is sharp, but his vision isn’t what it used to be. His fading eyesight keeps him from the creative projects that had always given him fulfillment. Carl said he’d welcome a weekly call to chat with someone.
Ann had signed up to make calls to a neighbor and was more than happy to make the calls to Carl. For over a year now, Ann has been calling Carl weekly, and a strong neighborly bond has taken hold.
Carl was excited to host a small outdoor birthday luncheon in his back yard. Social distance was observed. Carl shared that his mother used to cook Polish food for him so perogies, stuffed cabbage and kielbasa from the local Polish deli was the birthday meal. A chocolate Babka was the finishing touch.
Volunteer Training
The next volunteer trainings will be held via Zoom on Mon., Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. and Thurs., Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. To sign up to volunteer with the Town of Warwick’s Friendly Visitor Program, call 986-1124 ext. 400 or visit www.TownofWarwick.org.
Carl Heter celebrated his 102nd birthday with friends from Warwick’s Friendly Visitor Program.
