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Show RIGHT ON, Ml By JoInn Jacobsen there are still people in this world who are doing something for nothing. It can't be many. Thank you." ' 's ' I A Dial lonesome. And you will be answered by a bundle of smiles, a truck load of dedication and a mountain of love on the other end of the receiver. Fourteen volunteer women in Salt Lake City have made life worth living for hundreds of Utah's forgotten for-gotten and lonely people-residents people-residents of nursing homes. Initiated in January 1971 by Mrs. Ralph Box, the Volunteer Care and Convalescing Meds, make regular reg-ular visits to five nursing homes in the area-reading to the residents, playing bridge, writing letters, having dances, song fests, birthday parties-making each day brighter. "We don't condemn the residents nor nursing homes," Mrs. Box id. "We don't feed the residents, lift them, take them gifts or take them off the premises. We just try to interest their needs to the staff members." Mrs. Box emphasized that the volunteer workers are not trying to replace the staff members, but neither will they stand by and see any resident neglected or abused. Mrs. Box first became interested in volunteer work when her stepfather step-father died. She had never had grandparents, but was always attracted at-tracted to older people. She began visiting nursing homes. . .that's all it took. In January Mrs. Box pledged other women in the drive to "help their fellowmen." The state put the Volunteer Care and Convalescing Convales-cing Meds on public record as a legal corporation. The ladies joined the General Federation of Women's Clubs and set up office in Valley Bank and Trust, where they hold monthly meetings. The corporation, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization, is a first in Salt Lake City. Members buy their own gas, own equipment, equip-ment, own uniforms-blue topper, while pants-and pay $3 in yearly dues. Their biggest immediate problem-there aren't enough "Angels in Blue" to serve the requests of many, many nursing homes. Mrs. Box alone spends 25 hours a week in the volunteer capacity. "We'll never see another genera- tion like this one," Mrs. Box emphasized. "The residents of nursing homes didn't have automation auto-mation nor airplanes, have experienced experi-enced three wars and a depression. All they need is a friend to listen to their experiences." "There are enough women in Salt Lake that have enough spare time," Mrs. Box said, "but how do you get them involved? The children and youth will be taken care of by the community, but who will take care of the old folks?" Residents of Utah nursing homes have only a handful of possessions when they enter the building. After their visit of the women volunteers, they grow older with a heartful of happiness and confidence confi-dence that 'someone' cares. An elderly German woman expressed ex-pressed her feelings in a letter to Mrs. Box: "Each day I wonder if Mrs. Ralph Box I |