Page 61 - March 2022

25th District CAPS officers celebrate Valentine's Day with seniors
More than 100 seniors gathered on Feb. 16 with 25th District CAPS officers to celebrate Valentine's Day. The officers created a unique experience by handing out fresh flowers donated by Trader Joe’s, candy, cupcakes and balloons. To top it off, every- one enjoyed playing a game of bingo.
Officer Malgorzata Lichwala, who has worked with the se- niors in her district for more than five years, enjoyed experienc- ing the special celebration with the seniors.
“They love this a lot,” Lichwala expressed. “They all left with the smiley faces. And they always welcome anything we can do for them. So, they were very excited and very grateful.”
Lichwala dedicates her time to helping the seniors of the Old- er People Club, which the CAPS office hosts once a month. The club offers presentations to keep the elderly informed of crime statistics and other information, as well as hosts celebrations for holidays like this one. It has more than 180 members.
“I love [seniors] with all my heart,” Lichwala declared. “They're very good people. I think they're very vulnerable and very delicate individuals, and many times, people forget about them. So, we need to pay more attention to our seniors and to help them more and get them involved, especially those who are living alone.”
Working with senior citizens, Lichwala performs well-being checks. She has seen several seniors when they were sad and depressed, which is why she believes there should be more ser- vices available for them. Because when she does visit, she has seen the difference it makes.
“I feel like it brings them joy,” Lichwala remarked. “Many times, I feel like mother to those seniors. To just nourish them, take care of them, that's the instinct I have toward seniors.”
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