Episode 2137 notes

To provide for the needs of the aged poor, Saint Jeanne Jugan walked the roads of France seeking alms. She was recognized by the begging basket she carried. She asked for money as well as food, clothing, wood, wool or whatever was needed for the Home. Jeanne thanked her benefactors by praying for them, and today’s Little Sisters happily continue this practice. My guests on today's show are Mother Mary Thomas and Sr. Agnes from Kansas City's Little Sisters of the Poor order, located on James A. Reed Rd.

Today we learn of their mission and the care they provide for the elderly, with reverence and respect for the elderly regardless of religion, serving people 65 years and older, of any race or religion (or no religion), who are low-income. Serve those who can’t afford to pay for care. "Old age has many gifts that are often overlooked in today’s society. They are our ancestors, built foundation of what we have today" Join me for this extraordinary discussion with these sisteres who are making each day count for our elderly's "last place they will live" with respect and grace.

This is episode 2137 of America's Healthcare Advocate, I'm Cary Hall.

Learn more: Carrie Rojas Director of Development, Little Sisters of the Poor 8745 James A. Reed Rd, Kansas City, MO 64138

816.761.4744

https://littlesistersofthepoorkansascity.org/ or, outside of the Kansas City area, https://littlesistersofthepoor.org/

And if you need help or have something to share, contact me Cary Hall, America's Healthcare Advocate at https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

And let me know what's on your mind, issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns.

00;00;12;13 - 00;00;31;08

Cary Hall

On today's show, I'm going to be joined by Little Sisters of the Poor. Mother Mary Thomas is going to be in studio with me and Sister Agnes Clare. We're going to talk about what they do. You know what they do. They do something nobody else does. They take care of poor people who are senior citizens and elders. I think it's going to be an interesting show.

00;00;31;14 - 00;00;33;22

Cary Hall

Stay tuned. Listen and learn.

00;00;33;24 - 00;00;39;14

Announcer

And now America's Healthcare Advocate, Cary Hall.

00;00;39;16 - 00;00;56;26

Cary Hall

Hello, America. Welcome to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA here on the HIA Radio Network. My producer, Mister Dave Thiessen, behind the camera, the man who puts all these shows together. Posts them up on our YouTube and podcast channel. By the way, 604,000 views.

00;00;56;26 - 00;01;15;17

Cary Hall

Thanks to all of you out there in the listening audience. Garner Cowdry. The man behind the board over here making sure everything is working in the Cumulus studio here in Overland Park, Kansas. By the way, if you happen to be chronologically challenged and you're looking for Medicare coverage or ACA, give the lovely Carolee Steele a call at RPS.

00;01;15;17 - 00;01;39;01

Cary Hall

Benefits by Design 877-385-2224. Anywhere in the country. She can help you. 877-385-2224. All right. Today's show is very unique. It's a show I've wanted to do for quite a while, actually, and I'm very fortunate to have in studio with me today, Mother Mary Thomas and Sister Agnes Clare of Little Sisters of the Poor. Welcome, sisters.

00;01;39;03 - 00;01;39;19

Sister Agnes

Thank you.

00;01;39;20 - 00;01;40;00

Mother Mary Thomas

Thank you

00;01;40;07 - 00;01;56;23

Cary Hall

Very happy to have you here. So the Little Sisters of the Poor was founded in 1839 by Saint Jeanne Jugan. We'll talk about that as we get into the history. But let me explain to you why I want to do this today and why I think this is important. You know, I do shows like this, I just did Zuzus Petaqls here.

00;01;56;25 - 00;02;22;07

Cary Hall

We were talking about helping people with Christmas, that kind of thing. This is a different message. You know, there are all kinds of charities out there that help children there. There are charities out there to help dogs and cats. Okay. There are charities out there that help veterans. They all do wonderful things. Think of one charity you know, it helps the elderly that are poor, that have no place to go and have nothing in terms of ability to fund or pay for private facility.

00;02;22;10 - 00;02;43;19

Cary Hall

That's what Little Sisters of the Poor do. They take care of the elderly that are indigent, poor and need help. They provide homes for them, whether it's in residential care or whether it is, skilled nursing facilities. They have all of that available right here in Kansas City. So they're all on the show today to talk about their mission, what they do and how we can help them.

00;02;43;19 - 00;02;59;13

Cary Hall

Welcome, sister. Thank you. Very happy to have you here Sister Thomas. So tell us a little bit about the history of Little Sisters of the Poor. All the way back to 1839, I was reading this this morning doing show notes. I'm like, I didn't realize that the order was that old. So talk a little bit about that history.

00;02;59;16 - 00;03;32;18

Mother Mary Thomas

So as you heard from Cary, our congregation is founded in 1839, in France, during the French Revolution, there were so many old people who were on the road and nobody was taking care of them. So St. Jeanne Jugan, who is our Foundress, took one old lady, who was blind, left near the road and took her to her house and put her in her own bed, and she went to sleep on the attic on her own.

00;03;32;20 - 00;03;58;08

Mother Mary Thomas

Soon other ladies came to. She found there were more ladies and then other young women who came to help her. And that's where the congregation began. So now we have like 153 homes in 30 countries. We are the international congregation, which is in all of the 30 countries and five continents.

00;03;58;11 - 00;04;16;24

Cary Hall

That is a lot of that. When I was reading this this morning, 30 countries. Yeah. Let's just talk a lot about this. So, it's really quite remarkable in all the places that you've served in a number of places you've been in Gallup, New Mexico, by the way. I've spent some time in Gallup, I know a little bit about Gallup, New Mexico and the Indian population there.

00;04;16;29 - 00;04;29;18

Cary Hall

You were in Denver for three years. You're in New Jersey. And so you've served in different places across the country here, in the United States. And Sister Agnes, where where have you served besides here in the United States?

00;04;29;20 - 00;05;10;25

Sister Agnes

Well, I have been a Little Sister for 52 years. So all through these years I've been to many countries. First of all, I overseas in my country in Hong Kong and then to France and England and Ireland. And then I come to America. 21 years ago, the first home was in San Francisco, where I stayed for 13 years, and I went to Denver and California, then Denver and California and finally ended in Kansas City, which is where I, I begin my fifth year here.

00;05;10;28 - 00;05;16;08

Cary Hall

Well we're glad to have you. Yeah. And you all do a lot of traveling.

00;05;16;11 - 00;05;16;24

Sister Agnes

That’s right.

00;05;16;27 - 00;05;34;24

Cary Hall

You move from a lot of different locations, which is kind of an interesting way for all of this to work. So let's talk a little bit about what you're doing here in Kansas City. This is, as I said, you have skilled nursing and then you have assisted living. You've got to you know, the building is what 30 years hold here about

00;05;34;24 - 00;05;35;25

Mother Mary Thomas

40.

00;05;35;25 - 00;05;45;19

Cary Hall

It's 40 years old. It's a it's a beautiful building. It's all brick. It's over off at James A. Reed road. You actually arrived here in Kansas City in 1882,

00;05;45;25 - 00;05;46;09

Sister Agnes

Correct.

00;05;46;11 - 00;05;49;25

Cary Hall

Yes. That's a long time ago. Let's talk about that, sister.

00;05;49;28 - 00;06;21;20

Sister Agnes

Well, 62 sisters from France have made their way to Kansas City in 1882, and they started to open their first home. it’s called a legacy for the aged home. So this home they have, they located it in a building which is built for the widow and the orphans of the Civil War soldiers.

00;06;21;20 - 00;06;27;27

Cary Hall

I saw that and it was they were treating widows and orphans of Civil War soldiers. And that's really quite remarkable.

00;06;27;27 - 00;07;07;04

Sister Agnes

Yeah. And the sisters converted as a home for the aged, where they stay until 1932. And then from 1932 with the expansion of the trafficway, which forced them to relocate somewhere else. So the sister looked for a place, on 53, between 53 and Highland. And and at that time, the bishop did a very, very huge procession of 3500 people to bless and to lay the foundation stone in that building.

00;07;07;07 - 00;07;38;13

Sister Agnes

And we stayed there until 19, 1982. And the sisters felt that they need a new building, the old building and more modern and also more functional home. So and in order to meet the changes of the federal and state regulations. So with the help of many generous benefactors, they they found a place of where we are now in James A Reed road.

00;07;38;15 - 00;07;39;24

Sister Agnes

In Raytown [Mo.].

00;07;39;24 - 00;07;45;14

Cary Hall

Mary, let's talk a little bit about what you're doing at that home today and who you're serving in that home.

00;07;45;17 - 00;08;15;21

Mother Mary Thomas

So in this home I arrived in December last year. So we have over 75 residents where we care for them apartment and also assisted living in the nursing. So we, we give them I am the mother superior of the home, which is taking care of the residents or older people who are poor. But we do not take people who have more.

00;08;15;26 - 00;08;16;19

Cary Hall

Financial means.

00;08;16;20 - 00;08;21;27

Mother Mary Thomas

Financial means. So we always take for the poorer, the better for us.

00;08;21;27 - 00;08;39;16

Cary Hall

Yes. Now this is interesting because it's you're all listening to this, Little Sisters of the Poor is obviously a Catholic order. But here's what I want everybody to understand. They take people. It doesn't matter what your religion is, it's non denominate. You can be a Baptist, you can be a Catholic. You can be Jewish. It really doesn't matter what your religion is.

00;08;39;16 - 00;08;56;13

Cary Hall

They will take you if you have a need. That's what they do with this home. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to do this day. I want to make sure everybody understands, as far as I know, they are the only folks here in Kansas City that actually take these people in to a facility, they provide them with private room that has a bathroom.

00;08;56;19 - 00;09;18;14

Cary Hall

Okay. And they have it's a beautiful facility. I've been at it. It's it's well-run, it's spotlessly clean. And what they do is very unusual in today's world because we don't have a lot of people out there taking care of the elderly. You know, in this country, the culture is not that of taking care of the elderly. We have a tendency here in this country to let's put them at home.

00;09;18;16 - 00;09;39;26

Cary Hall

Let's look, you know, in other countries around the world, the parents live typically with the children when they age. That's not what we do here. So their mission in terms of helping these people, they're kind of like the last resort for people who don't have money, can't get into another facility, don't want to be in a medicaid facility because those are absolutely horrific and maybe they don't have family can help take care of them.

00;09;39;26 - 00;09;59;10

Cary Hall

So that's why we're doing this today. And we think what they do is important. And that's why we're putting this show on today. We're going to come back from the break. We're going to continue this conversation with both sisters and Little Sisters of the Poor. We're going to talk more specifically about what they're doing in the community and what they need from us in order to be able to help them with their mission.

00;09;59;10 - 00;10;19;20

Cary Hall

Stay tuned. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate Broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network, Coast to Coast Cross, USA. We'll be right back.

00;10;19;22 - 00;10;41;19

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting Coast to Coast across the USA, here on the HIA Radio Network. You can find out more about us by going to the website. AmericasHealthcareAdvocate.com. All these shows are posted up there. They're also on 16 podcast platform and those YouTube platforms. If you want to tell somebody about this, maybe you know somebody thats got time.

00;10;41;19 - 00;11;01;28

Cary Hall

Maybe they're retired, semi-retired. They'd like to help out or know more about Little Sisters of the Poor. Go up there to the show, tell them about the show, let them listen or watch whatever they want to do. There is a website. Remember these sisters do homes all over the world. So Gallup, New Mexico, Denver.

00;11;02;01 - 00;11;19;14

Cary Hall

There are a host of places around the country. They still do these homes San Francisco, San Pedro, California, these are just some of the cities that they've been or are in. If you want to learn more, you're listing this somewhere else in the country. Maybe you're in Alaska, maybe you're, in Redlands, California, or wherever the case may be.

00;11;19;17 - 00;11;45;15

Cary Hall

Their website is littlesistersofthepoor.org, anywhere in the country. If you want to learn about. Is there a home in your area? Could you help? Could you volunteer? Little Sisters of the Poor dot org. Also, if you want to help out here in Kansas City, please give Carrie Rojas a call at 816-203-8015. 816-203-8015. We're going to talk about what they're looking for in the way of volunteers in the third segment.

00;11;45;15 - 00;12;07;26

Cary Hall

But they need drivers. They need people that can help do some landscaping. They need people in the kitchen. If you're a retired nurse and you want to come in and do counseling or help them out, they would love to have you. So once again, 816-203-8015. All right, sister, let's talk a little bit about quality of living. You know, Medicaid nursing homes are very difficult for people to live in.

00;12;07;28 - 00;12;30;20

Cary Hall

I always say the first thing you notice when you walk into Medicaid home is the smell. Usually it's Pine-Sol or or Clorox or something, and you've got two people to one room sharing one television. There's no privacy. It's just not a quality of living. When I walked into your home, I didn't know what to expect. When I walked into that building, that all brick building in the lobby.

00;12;30;22 - 00;12;51;00

Cary Hall

You've got a beautiful lobby. Yeah, some religious artifacts out there, some statues, some other things. And the place is absolutely spotless. I was amazed. I was like, this is, this is this is clean or cleaner than a hospital I've been in. But what the other the other part that I think is amazing is you. These people have their own room with their own bathroom.

00;12;51;04 - 00;13;07;28

Cary Hall

So they're not sharing a bathroom or a television or something. So talk about the quality, because to me, the quality of life that you're providing is not the norm unless you can pay to go into a private facility. So it's very different. So talk a little bit about that, Sister Mary.

00;13;08;01 - 00;13;34;13

Mother Mary Thomas

When they come to us, they come, they become part of our family, the residents, the employees, the sisters it’s one big family, we live together. So you want to give them respect, good care, gentle, our way of dealing with them, talking to them. We really become part of their life. They come, they are poor so they don't have much maybe to give us.

00;13;34;15 - 00;14;03;17

Mother Mary Thomas

But that's why we go out to the church collection. Different places to ask for money, because of what we receive from them, is not enough to run the home, to feed 75 people in the home, for three meals and good care and provide our medical care. They need laundry done. Rooms are clean, so we want to make we treat them as they really for us is like the Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus whom we are serving.

00;14;03;17 - 00;14;19;12

Mother Mary Thomas

So we want to give him the best we can, best care we can provide to them, and make their last days happy and enjoyable where they can really live with us peacefully. And when the Lord calls, they are ready to say.

00;14;19;12 - 00;14;20;24

Sister Agnes

Yes to the Lord.

00;14;20;26 - 00;14;40;29

Cary Hall

You know, it, it it it's amazing to me when I, when I was in there and I looked at you live with them. That's the part that I think is very interesting. You’re there every day interacting with them, whether it's meals or recreation or, or, you know, they're doing hobbies. Whatever the case may be, you're with them the whole time.

00;14;41;03 - 00;14;59;24

Cary Hall

Let's go back to this cost thing. So most of these people have Medicaid. Medicaid doesn't cover the cost of half of what it cost to run that home, okay. And that's one of the problems is you're taking these people in who are if it weren't for you, who knows where they would be? Probably in some Medicaid home if they could get in.

00;15;00;03 - 00;15;15;04

Cary Hall

But the point is they're getting a different quality of life you're providing for them. You're living with these folks in the home. Talk a little bit about some of the experiences. Sister Agnes, is some of these people that you're in the home and how you interact with them.

00;15;15;06 - 00;15;34;10

Sister Agnes

Well, we care to make the elderly happy is our, the goal or the call of our mission. So we try our best to make them happy, and we try to create a place where the residents call home, and they’re welcomed as Christ, and we serve them as family.

00;15;34;13 - 00;15;37;21

Cary Hall

And that's really a different way of doing what taking care of the eldery.

00;15;37;25 - 00;15;38;27

Sister Agnes

Exactly.

00;15;38;27 - 00;15;55;20

Cary Hall

A different level of compassion and care, Sister Mary, in the way you do this, for these folks, I mean, the people that I saw in there, when I was there, for our last meeting, it's clear that they're very fortunate to be there, and they're being very well taken care of.

00;15;55;22 - 00;16;24;02

Mother Mary Thomas

So in order to show them what we need, we depend on divine providence to God provide us when we need it. So people from Kansas City been very generous to us all these years, 143 years. We are serving the people of Kansas City and we never lack anything because people are very good to us and give us what we need financially or things, whatever we need.

00;16;24;02 - 00;16;51;02

Mother Mary Thomas

So we count on our patron saint, which is Saint Joseph. We call on him when we need something, we ask him to, we need something. And he always has, never has let us down. So our foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan, had great trust in Saint Joseph and we as a little sisters continued that to counting on Saint Joseph to provide what we need our residents, these guys for what funds we get from the residents.

00;16;51;02 - 00;17;02;14

Mother Mary Thomas

It's not enough to run the home, but because of the people's generosity we are able to do now. Till now, all this up to 143 years.

00;17;02;14 - 00;17;19;03

Cary Hall

It's quite remarkable when you think about you mentioned you've got 75 people in this home, you've got room for more, which you you need more staff, you need more help to be able to do that. But having said that, people don't necessarily think about this. You've got to feed 75 people three times a day.

00;17;19;05 - 00;17;41;05

Cary Hall

You've got to make sure their laundry is done. I didn't even think of that part tell you said it. Okay. You get their rooms are clean. I'm sure that, you know, they need other personal services, medical care, all the rest of it. So that's all part of what you do in running this home to provide as sister Agnes said, this family atmosphere for these people to let them know that.

00;17;41;07 - 00;18;04;27

Cary Hall

And that's interesting that you said to keep them happy. Sister Agnes said, because so many senior citizens, especially in situations like Medicaid homes, they become very withdrawn because they're not having interaction. They're not they're not in a place where they're comfortable or they’re happy. Your situation, what you're providing with is something completely different. It's a level of security.

00;18;05;01 - 00;18;25;02

Cary Hall

It's a level of care. It's all of those things that make a big difference for all of them. When we come back from the break, we're going to talk about how you can help out a little bit of that divine providence. Okay. What they need that you can help out with here in the Kansas City metro, or if you happen to be listening anywhere else in the country, you can certainly get involved with Little Sisters of the Poor. The website.

00;18;25;02 - 00;18;47;10

Cary Hall

For them nationally is Little Sisters of the Poor dot org. LittleSisterOfThePoor.org. If you want to help out here in Kansas City, maybe you've got some free time, maybe you're semi-retired, maybe you'd like to make a donation, or you've got some other way to help reach out to, Carrie Rojas. You can find her at 816-203-8015. 816-203-8015.

00;18;47;14 - 00;19;07;11

Cary Hall

We'll be right back after the break with more. Stay tuned. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting coast to coast across USA.

00;19;07;13 - 00;19;29;21

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA here on the HIA Radio Network. I want to give a shout out to KMET, 1490-AM and 98.1-FM in Redlands, California. One of our great stations up there listening to America's Healthcare Advocate. Happy to have you on board with us a long time.

00;19;29;23 - 00;19;51;02

Cary Hall

I know the folks up in, California enjoy the show. We get a lot of feedback. So thank you all. All you folks over at Calumet. All right, let's switch gears here a little bit. Sister Agnes, your official title is ‘Beggar’, Okay. You. Yeah. So let's talk a little about what it means to be the chief beggar for Little Sisters of the Poor, Sister Agnes.

00;19;51;06 - 00;20;23;12

Sister Agnes

Well, I'm proud of this title you gave me. All through my religious life, my job is mostly on begging on, collecting. Or you can say begging. I, I go for every day. We go to different, markets, offices and, and all the bakery places to solicit monetary and, donations in-kind. And the people are very good enough to provide for us.

00;20;23;12 - 00;20;47;12

Sister Agnes

Enough for the whole week at the table. So, I'm proud of that. And I enjoy my begging because I can reach out to the people whom I solicit there charity and create a channel of grace for their souls for this seffless charity and that of selfless charity.

00;20;47;15 - 00;20;55;27

Sister Agnes

It was already, what the Foundress believe that sharing is a common gesture among the human family.

00;20;55;29 - 00;21;46;24

Sister Agnes

We're all, accorded to live in fidelity. It was in this, it was in this spirit that she ensure this subsistence of her work through the collecting. The collecting is a fundamental element of our charism. Is another way of serving the elderly. It affirms our fidelity to receiving the poorest elderly, and it bears witness of our trust in God without disrupting the human beings and creativity. We count on the intervention of the Providence through the collecting we associate the lay people to join our work, and we will work together for the good of our residents in view of God.

00;21;46;26 - 00;22;01;01

Cary Hall

And thank you. I think that pretty much says, what your mission is. As far as let's talk a little about specifics, Sister Mary. Okay. So you need you need you've got how many acres is that facility? It's a big facility.

00;22;01;03 - 00;22;02;23

Mother Mary Thomas

It's 23.

00;22;02;25 - 00;22;18;07

Cary Hall

23 acres. And you've got a pond on it. I mean, it's wonderful. It's beautiful because, you know, all the folks at home have a place they can go out. There's recreation, you know, they can walk. They can. They can fish in the little pond. They can do a lot of things, but that needs upkeep. That's that's work. Right?

00;22;18;09 - 00;22;50;17

Cary Hall

Okay. So you're in need of people if if folks want it, if you've got a church group, you got a men's group, if you've got, you know, maybe, maybe at work, you have people that get together and go out and do volunteer. BlueCross the Kansas does this. I know Blue Cross of Kansas City does it. If you've got a group that goes out and does work in various community projects, this is a project you might want to give Carrie Rojas a call and say, hey, we'd like to come down on a Saturday or we'd like, come down and help out and do some cleanup or be involved, with Little Sisters of the Poor

00;22;50;17 - 00;22;56;13

Cary Hall

over on James A Reed road. So that's one thing they need. Hygiene drives. What are hygiene drives?

00;22;56;15 - 00;23;16;12

Mother Mary Thomas

You know, to take care of 75 people. We need a lot of Kleenex, shampoo, mouthwash, body wash, all these things. Everything is now expensive. So if people can help us that way, will be very grateful because we need on that for them to take care of the daily basic. Yeah.

00;23;16;15 - 00;23;35;29

Cary Hall

And Sister Agnes, you mentioned, going to bakeries and different food facilities. So you, you know, if, if someone owns or runs a grocery store as a manager of a grocery store or a restaurant or a bakery, and they have goods that they can donate to you, you're more than happy to receive those.

00;23;35;29 - 00;23;37;00

Sister Agnes

Oh, sure.

00;23;37;02 - 00;23;38;02

Cary Hall

Okay.

00;23;38;05 - 00;23;48;05

Sister Agnes

We'll arrange a date and then go regularly to get the food to make sure they have this, pastry, which the residents love it.

00;23;48;05 - 00;24;10;09

Cary Hall

So the idea then obviously is if you have if you have, a bakery, if you have a restaurant, if you have a grocery store, maybe you're a manager for Price Chopper or, you know, Aldi's or one of the other stores that, you know, think about this, maybe this way, you know, when you have dented canned goods or, or goods that are a day old and you can't put them back on the shelf, they'd probably love to have them.

00;24;10;09 - 00;24;30;29

Cary Hall

If you want to do something like that, reach out to Carrie Rojas, 816-203-8015. 816.203-8015. She'd be happy to chat with you. Let's talk about something that you did here recently, that you had a few folks attend. When you throw a dinner, you throw a big dinner. You you talk about. So you had a spaghetti dinner last Sunday.

00;24;31;02 - 00;24;38;00

Cary Hall

I was cooking for grandchildren, so I didn't get to come. But let's talk a little about how many people you had or what did you serve, Sister Mary?

00;24;38;00 - 00;25;01;16

Mother Mary Thomas

So we had 600 people attended. It was first time for me. I went just like amazed to see all these people coming in and out. And most is like everything was donated. The meatball, the spaghetti, the bread, the cake, everything was donated. So whatever we made is like all our profit. That was enough. And we had the crafts sale.

00;25;01;18 - 00;25;08;02

Mother Mary Thomas

We had silent auction and we had so many volunteers to help us. It was so wonderful to see.

00;25;08;02 - 00;25;09;15

Cary Hall

How 600.

00;25;09;22 - 00;25;30;15

Mother Mary Thomas

People that and you mentioned how many meatballs they made it and how much pasta and two big bread, garlic bread. It was beautiful. And people just so happy. When they went home, they were just like thanking you when they have they paid for that. They were still happy about it. Yeah. Yes. It was a beautiful day for everybody.

00;25;30;18 - 00;25;37;17

Cary Hall

Yeah. And that that's a wonderful event. And so who had to make the 600 meatballs? That's what I want to know. Sister Agnes.

00;25;37;19 - 00;25;50;13

Sister Agnes

We have a catering. He was very kind and he offered his help for us for this fundraiser, Okay. And the catering themselves with all the staff they make, they prepare all this meatball and pasta.

00;25;50;16 - 00;25;59;18

Cary Hall

And so we have we have an event coming up on December 6th. It's a breakfast meat collection. Talked about what people can do if they want to bring food to that drive.

00;25;59;21 - 00;26;25;13

Sister Agnes

So every year has a night tradition. We have a meat drive around this time and this time this year we we decided to put it on the 9th of December from from 9 to 3. Right. And then, you can drive through and then could, first of all, go to the grocery and buy whatever we need.

00;26;25;13 - 00;26;32;03

Sister Agnes

We have a list still. So you put it and then you drive through and then the system, we receive your credit card donations.

00;26;32;06 - 00;26;50;25

Cary Hall

What they're looking forward to, everybody understands hears are looking for bacon, ham, sausage holiday breakfast. It is December 6th. That that that is the date if you just so they're over on James A Reed Road they're easy to find if you you know want to go over there and drop something off of feel free to do that. They'd be happy to have it.

00;26;50;27 - 00;27;08;27

Cary Hall

And you certainly it's certainly something they can use. As they said, they're feeding 75 people every day. Think about that. That's a lot. That's a lot of bacon and a lot of ham. Okay. So let's switch gears here and talk about something else. Now you have a van, Sister Mary is broken down okay. It's 16 passenger bus.

00;27;09;00 - 00;27;26;09

Cary Hall

And so therefore you need to have the ability to get people in your facility if they want to go to Walmart and go shopping or they need to do this or go to a doctor's appointment. You don't have a van right now. Now. So, you know, if you're out there, you're a car dealer, okay? Or you're used car dealer or whatever the case may be.

00;27;26;09 - 00;27;36;25

Cary Hall

Or maybe you're somebody that has a connection to Ford or GM or whoever it may be. We're looking for a van. They need to replace this van. You're looking for a 12 passenger van, right.

00;27;36;29 - 00;27;39;03

Mother Mary Thomas

With the two handicap access.

00;27;39;09 - 00;27;39;20

Cary Hall

Right.

00;27;39;20 - 00;27;49;06

Mother Mary Thomas

Also, because we have a few residents who are on the wheelchair, so they can also be able to go out. What we have is the the lift doesn't work.

00;27;49;08 - 00;27;50;00

Sister Agnes

And a battery.

00;27;50;02 - 00;28;00;26

Mother Mary Thomas

Battery doesn't work, so it's very hard to take them out. Like for example, the Christmas light. We want to take them to see the Christmas lights, but no access to take them out.

00;28;00;28 - 00;28;29;10

Cary Hall

So they're looking for a van. So if it is anyone out there that you know has access or or can start a conversation with Ford Motor Company or General Motors or anybody else, please feel free to reach out to Carrie Rojas once again. That phone number is 816-203-8015. By the way, if you would like to be a driver, if you can come and help take people to the doctor, if you can take people if they need to go to Walmart or pick up prescriptions, whatever the case may be, they'd love to have you.

00;28;29;10 - 00;28;47;15

Cary Hall

If you want to come as a volunteer, they'd love to have you come as volunteer and help out with this part with where they can get these folks outside of the home, when they when they need to go do something or just as Sister Mary just said, if they just want to go look at the lights on the plaza, if you've got the ability to help do that, please reach out to them.

00;28;47;23 - 00;29;15;06

Cary Hall

They could certainly use the help. Once again. Carrie Rojas is at 816-203-8015. 816-203-8015. They'd be happy to chat with you. We'll be right back after the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network. Coast to coast across USA. Stay right there. We've got more. When we come back.

00;29;15;08 - 00;29;31;20

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA here on the HIA radio network. You know you're listening to this. I don't care where you are in the country. They have a need. And like I said at the beginning of this show, give me a name of another charity that does it.

00;29;31;23 - 00;29;50;27

Cary Hall

There aren't very many. I don't know of any, frankly, especially where they actually take them into a home, give them a decent place to live. Their own private room, their own bathroom, provide three meals, a day for them, personal hygiene, laundry, cleaning, the whole nine yards. They do it all into the facility here in Kansas City is beautiful.

00;29;50;27 - 00;30;09;03

Cary Hall

Yes, it's older, but they maintain it. It's spotless. It's very well done. This is a quality of life you don't typically see for the elderly when they get stuck into a medicaid facility, two to a room, sharing a bathroom and one television. That's not a way to end your life or wind up in your old age where you want to be.

00;30;09;03 - 00;30;27;22

Cary Hall

What they're providing is a quality of life that's far above that. Okay, and if you've got the money to afford that kind of nursing care with a long term care policy, but that's great. But a lot of people don't, and that's what they do. So their website anywhere in the country, Little Sisters of the Poor.org. Little Sisters of the Poor dot org.

00;30;27;25 - 00;30;53;08

Cary Hall

If you have time, you want to volunteer. Maybe you have a business that can help out. Maybe you can write a check. Give Carrie Rojas a call 816-203-8015. Help them help those. They can't help themselves. All right, let's switch gears a little bit. Sister Mary, let's talk about we've talked about all the physical things you're doing to take care of people.

00;30;53;11 - 00;31;12;01

Cary Hall

You know, end of life going to happen for everybody. Nobody's getting out of here alive. Okay. So so let's talk about hospice care. Because you do hospice care. They don't have to leave if they're in hospice. You let's talk about how you do that. And in the spirituality piece that you bring to that, you're you know, this a Roman Catholic order.

00;31;12;01 - 00;31;17;28

Cary Hall

I'm Catholic, but you're providing this to people of all denominations. Talk about sister Mary.

00;31;18;00 - 00;31;42;05

Mother Mary Thomas

So as the as Carrie said, we are a Catholic congregation, Roman Catholic. We take care of the elderly. So we have mass for them every day in a chapel where they can participate, the mass, any race, color, anybody can come and pray to the Lord everyday mass there. They have everyday rosary there. So you a they have a anointing of the sick every three months.

00;31;42;05 - 00;32;03;28

Mother Mary Thomas

They have confession every week. So we do provide not only bodily things, but we provide also spiritual life for them. So when the time comes when the Lord is going to call them, we stay with them, even if you have to stay nights and days, we stay with them. We never leave them alone. We hold their hand, we pray with them.

00;32;03;28 - 00;32;26;03

Mother Mary Thomas

We sisters take a turn in the night because we know when they will close their eyes here. When they open next in the heaven, they will see Blessed Mother. Or Saint Joseph or Jesus come to them, but they will remember who I was holding their hand in the last the last minute. I was there with them, praying with them.

00;32;26;03 - 00;32;44;09

Mother Mary Thomas

The family, those who have family, they can come and stay with them. But there are many who don't have the family, so we are their family. So we provide that. We stay with them and we prepare their heart to go to heaven and prepare their soul to the you know.

00;32;44;12 - 00;33;00;15

Cary Hall

A lot of people, you wouldn't necessarily think of that. I mean, even when I was doing all this, getting ready to do this show day, I did not think of that. Okay. How important is that? You know, to contrast that with being in one of these Medicaid facilities where there is nobody there, okay? They're on their own.

00;33;00;16 - 00;33;20;28

Cary Hall

They're by themselves. There's nobody there when they pass, there's no family with them. There's nobody in that facility who has any kind of personal relationship. And here, I just heard you say it. If you're sitting there 24/7 with him in that room, they're not by themself. That has to mean a lot. It has to mean a lot to these folks, that they because as you said.

00;33;20;28 - 00;33;42;18

Cary Hall

And it's sad I talked about this at the beginning of the show. In this culture, in this country, we don't necessarily look at those of us. And I'm chronologically challenged at 76 years of age. We don't necessarily look at those of us that are seasoned citizens as an asset. We look at them as a liability. Okay. That's not how you folks do this, you know, out.

00;33;42;21 - 00;34;00;24

Cary Hall

Little sister says something completely different. You look at the whole person, you take care of them physically. You take care of them mentally. And you're helping them spiritually. And that's quite a message that you deliver in a way. You do this. I just think it's remarkable what you do and the fact that you devote your lives to this.

00;34;00;26 - 00;34;22;00

Cary Hall

And, and you've been doing this. How long have you been? How long is that? 132 years in Kansas City? What did you say? 143 I was I was off, okay. It's 143 years in Kansas City. Give dating all the way back to the Civil War. Now think about that. Okay. So you know, Carrie Rojas likes to say the best kept secret in Kansas City.

00;34;22;00 - 00;34;36;27

Cary Hall

I hope we're going to change that. Okay. I hope we're going to make a difference where there not the best kept secret in Kansas City because they have a mission. And they need your help. Your your closing thoughts, sister Mary, as we finish up the show today.

00;34;37;00 - 00;34;52;16

Mother Mary Thomas

My closing thoughts. I want to thank the people of Kansas City who has helped us all this year, 143 years, and we count on them to continue for maybe 100 more years, who knows we want to stay here. We want to take care of the people of Kansas City.

00;34;52;18 - 00;35;10;27

Cary Hall

And that's what they do. And so here's what I'm going to do. I'm asking you, if you're listening out there, you know, you're retired. Yeah. And, I'm going to use the example or somebody I know was sitting there with your Fox News turned on all day, okay. Doing absolutely nothing. How about doing something that might help somebody?

00;35;11;01 - 00;35;26;18

Cary Hall

Maybe you've got time to go be a volunteer. Maybe you can go down to the home and just help them in the kitchen. Maybe you can help them with the grounds. Maybe you can drive. Maybe you can take five people, take them to the doctor, or take them to Walmart. Whatever the case may be, they have a need for help here.

00;35;26;21 - 00;35;42;12

Cary Hall

If you've got the ability, it doesn't have to be money. If you don't have the money to do this. And if you do have, that's wonderful. But if you don't, you certainly can step up here, and take some time. Go down to spend a day, spend two hours, three hours. You know, it's rewarding to be able to do something to help others.

00;35;42;18 - 00;35;58;16

Cary Hall

As I said, you know, we elderly in this country are kind of left behind. They're not looked at like they are in a lot of other countries, in a lot of other cultures. And that's where these that's where the sisters of the poor make a huge difference in people's lives. And I think it's important for us to get this message out there.

00;35;58;16 - 00;36;17;19

Cary Hall

So if you want to get involved, I don't care where you are in the country. They've got homes all over. They've they've got homes outside of the country and other places. So it's Little Sisters of the Poor dot org. is the website nationally if you want to go look up a home. If you want to help out here over on James A Reed road.

00;36;17;21 - 00;36;35;16

Cary Hall

They certainly love to have you. If you've got a business, maybe you've got a group, maybe you've got a civic group. Whatever the case may be, and you'd like to take a Saturday, go on. My men's Bible study group does this. You know, we've done other homes before and helped out. We're certainly going to be at Little Sisters of the Poor this year in the spring to help out.

00;36;35;16 - 00;36;59;04

Cary Hall

My point is they need that help. They've got 23 acres out there. It's a big facility. All right, take the time. Get involved. Call Carrie Rojas. The number is 816-203-8015. You can make a difference if you want to. You pick up the phone and give them a call. Whether it's money, whether it's food, whether it's volunteer hours.

00;36;59;06 - 00;37;16;09

Cary Hall

I really appreciate both of you coming in here. Thank you so much for this. And thank you, Carrie for putting all this together and making all this happen. That it because I think it's an important message that needs to be delivered. And now I leave you with this thought from Doctor Martin Luther King. Americans must learn to live together as brothers and sisters.

00;37;16;15 - 00;37;38;15

Cary Hall

We are surely going to perish together as fools. Truer words never spoken. Thank you for listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting. Coast to coast across USA here on the HIA Radio Network. Goodbye, America.

00;37;38;17 - 00;37;41;02

Cary Hall