Glenda
Photography by: Dustin Miller
September 19, 2006
Fretto met Glenda and her sister Dolores at a community outreach gathering in West Augustine, about a month ago (West Augustine is the most impoverished and under-resourced area of St Augustine). Glenda rose above the crowd as a kind of strong mother figure. She clearly had the respect of those who knew her, for when she spoke everyone listened.
Fretto was drawn to her and took notice of her walking difficulties. She had a walker, but it was in poor condition. The tires were dry-rotted, and some of the supports were fatigued while others were completely missing. Fretto decided this was someone we should meet and so arranged for her sister Dolores to introduce us. Two weeks later, we met Glenda in her home.
As we sat in the house with Glenda and Dolores, she told us briefly about her life. She was born and raised in St. Augustine and began her first job at the Rusty Restaurant when she was 12 years old. There she learned all the essentials of running a kitchen, from washing dishes to preparing and cooking meals. After many years of working various jobs, she was forced to retire in 1995 due to medical conditions. The cartilage in her knees had begun to deteriorate.
These days Glenda spends lots of time babysitting Logan, her 18-month-old godson; and last year she became the legal guardian of another godson, 13-year-old Jarvis. Jarvis' mother died two years ago, and the whereabouts of his father is unknown.
Before we told Glenda about Rosa Loves, we weren't sure what to expect from her. It was beautiful to see her and her sister's faces light up when we did. She had two responses, the second of which absolutely floored me. Her initial reaction was joyful and humbled. She said how incredible it was to see people that were willing to step out and love, and how it was an example of God's constant watching over us. After that, she said something profound. She said "the truth is, I'm really fine. I know lots of people who could really use a helping hand."
We choked. Here's a woman that has difficulty walking even with a walker in good condition, a woman caring for a toddler and for a troubled teenager.
We sat still for a moment, absorbing the weight of what Glenda had said. Glenda is a person who gets it. She understands love in what we believe to be its truest form, and she radiates with it.
UPDATE: On November 30th, we delivered a brand new walker to Glenda, bought with the money raised from purchases of her shirt! Read about it here.
Fretto was drawn to her and took notice of her walking difficulties. She had a walker, but it was in poor condition. The tires were dry-rotted, and some of the supports were fatigued while others were completely missing. Fretto decided this was someone we should meet and so arranged for her sister Dolores to introduce us. Two weeks later, we met Glenda in her home.
As we sat in the house with Glenda and Dolores, she told us briefly about her life. She was born and raised in St. Augustine and began her first job at the Rusty Restaurant when she was 12 years old. There she learned all the essentials of running a kitchen, from washing dishes to preparing and cooking meals. After many years of working various jobs, she was forced to retire in 1995 due to medical conditions. The cartilage in her knees had begun to deteriorate.
These days Glenda spends lots of time babysitting Logan, her 18-month-old godson; and last year she became the legal guardian of another godson, 13-year-old Jarvis. Jarvis' mother died two years ago, and the whereabouts of his father is unknown.
Before we told Glenda about Rosa Loves, we weren't sure what to expect from her. It was beautiful to see her and her sister's faces light up when we did. She had two responses, the second of which absolutely floored me. Her initial reaction was joyful and humbled. She said how incredible it was to see people that were willing to step out and love, and how it was an example of God's constant watching over us. After that, she said something profound. She said "the truth is, I'm really fine. I know lots of people who could really use a helping hand."
We choked. Here's a woman that has difficulty walking even with a walker in good condition, a woman caring for a toddler and for a troubled teenager.
We sat still for a moment, absorbing the weight of what Glenda had said. Glenda is a person who gets it. She understands love in what we believe to be its truest form, and she radiates with it.
UPDATE: On November 30th, we delivered a brand new walker to Glenda, bought with the money raised from purchases of her shirt! Read about it here.
