January 11, 2004

The Human Service Club at Modesto Junior College noticed an item in an earlier column about a Ceres soldier in Afghanistan who requested some Mexican food and spices so he and others stationed there could have a taste of home.

The club asked the Able Disabled Club and the Associated Students of MJC for help, as well as several organizations in town that supplied donations of food -- mostly canned, said club President David Dickason. They boxed it all up and spent $409 to mail 12 boxes, ranging from 30 to 70 pounds each. It arrived in time for New Year's.

"I've been in contact with (Staff Sgt. Alfred) Negrete. He said they got all the food, and they enjoyed every bit of it," Dickason said. "We enjoyed doing the project. It was a lot of work, and a lot of people told us we couldn't do it, but we got it done. (The soldiers) are doing a good job for us, so we wanted to do a good job for them."

The following donated food and/or funds in the effort:

Solidarity Fellowship of Patterson, Grocery Outlet of Modesto, Raymond and Audrey Sigrist of Modesto, Tillie's Restaurant of Alameda, Penny Aldrich of Livermore, Ellen Shepard Associates and the UPS Store in Ceres.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency recently highlighted Helen Denny in its bimonthly newsletter, and it's easy to see why. The Modesto resident has spent 38 years -- more than 14,000 hours -- volunteering at the health clinic formerly known as Scenic General Hospital.

Helen, 82, was one of the first volunteers at the facility.

"A friend of mine asked if I wanted to work at the hospital. She told me they needed volunteers. I said, 'All right.'"

Helen began at the information desk and later put in time at the surgery desk, Meals on Wheels, social services and the gift shop, where she still works.

"There were a lot of things we did at the hospital. We had a cart; we called it the Pink Chariot. We painted it pink and put a little pink cloth around it. We filled it with pencils and toothpaste and things like that. We went around to the wards and asked patients what we could do for them."

One incident stands out.

"I asked one man how I could help him. He said, 'I'm going to have a very important surgery tomorrow and I haven't spoken to my daughter in 10 years. I'm kind of worried that she might like to hear from me.'

"I said, 'I'll call her,' and I did. I no sooner hung up than she was at the door. I had great joy that I was part of it, because it was like a great reunion."

Helen lost her sight in 2002 due to macular degeneration. But she hasn't stopped volunteering.

"My husband takes me to the hospital in the morning, goes to play golf and picks me up afterward. I like working at the gift shop. I do things now like blowing up balloons."

She loves her volunteer work.

"The people I work with are so friendly; it's like one big family. And I like helping the people out who come into the gift shop. As long as I can get a ride, I don't want to retire."

Do you have a story about someone who has helped others or is a terrific role model? Send a brief item to Sue Nowicki at P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352, or e-mail snowicki@modbee.com.