It’s been said that “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” As an animal lover myself, I know the purest form of unconditional love has fur and four paws!

As anyone who has lost a beloved pet knows, it isn’t just a pet when you are dealing with loss. Losing a pet that you love hurts a great deal. For Mae Osborne, losing her beloved cat, “Pumpkin” on June 2nd was devastating. Pumpkin was more than just a cat to Mae. Living alone at 98 years old, Pumpkin was Mae’s constant companion. Feeling such sadness for the loss of her pet, Mae felt like giving up. She felt as if she had lost her only companion and that life would be so much lonelier without Pumpkin. That’s when her In-Home Aide, Angie Daugherty, contacted me. I remember Angie saying, “This is one of the hardest parts of being a caregiver. We aren’t able to mend a broken heart.” At that moment, she and I made it a mission to find Mae a new kitten to fill the void she was feeling in her heart. As luck would have it, I was able to find a kitten on Facebook that very same evening. To make a long story short, Angie picked up the kitten the next day and took it to Mae. She was so happy with her new kitten and the joy and happiness had returned to her sweet face. Angie called me that afternoon and said, “I was wrong about what I said yesterday….we can mend a broken heart!” Pictured is Mae with her new kitten. Mae said she named it “Pumpkin” so that way she could remember its name.

As caregivers, Enriching Lives is something we work diligently to do every day, and it’s not always meeting just our client’s physical needs….sometimes, it’s about mending their broken hearts. ~Written by Lisa Osborne, IHA Supervisor

During the month of July, we have been challenging our staff to look for our Mission in Action. We have invited them to take part in a contest, sharing phots and stories of our Mission being lived out. As always, our staff have been amazing in capturing the most wonderful moments! The third week in July, we focused on moments that show how we are Enriching Lives. The winning photo story was submitted by Lisa Osborne, IHA Supervisor.

Connecting people. Embracing challenges. Enriching lives…from generation to generation.