Honoring Our Elders
Elders reach back with scholarships in their honor, helping youth to achieve academic excellence. These scholarships help assist youth with college application fees, books, computers, software, etc. In return, youth reach forward to elders with gratitude, letters, visits, honor, and respect. This helps strengthen relationships between elders and youth, creating an Elder-Youth alliance and mentorship/ companionship.
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Family and friends are encouraged to make contributions in tribute to honoring our elders.
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Each one support one.
Ms. Barbara Ward, 91 years young and stands 4'10" but with the momentum of a keg of dynamite, was born on July 16, 1929, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ms. Ward is a humanitarian who has seen many changes during the course of her life. She continues to live an accomplished life and to date has made a major impact on the lives of many people with whom she has associated. Highlights of her life can be traced as early as when she worked as a junior reporter for the Hartford Chronicle during her teenage years.
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Ms. Ward was employed as a Business Manager for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey for twenty-one years. Education was always an important achievement. She graduated in 1947 from Hartford Public High School in Connecticut and in 1951 from A&T (Agriculture and Technical University) in Greensboro, North Carolina. In the early 90's she assisted in the building and establishment of the Mountain Valley Senior Apartment Complex in New Haven, Connecticut where she worked as the site manager fostering the idea of families helping each other. Ms. Ward exemplified that model well. When asked," what ignites your passion"? Her voice softened with love and tenderness, she answered: "My favorite senior, Ms. Hildreth Hawkins, who is 101 years young”.
Their special friendship started after hearing of Ms. Hawkins' misfortune of being mugged in a nearby city-owned senior home. Ms. Ward insisted on Ms. Hawkins moving into the Mountain Valley Senior Apartment in 1996 where she still resides. They became best friends, going out once a month to Red Lobster for lunch, occasionally to Bingo, Church, and/or shopping regularly. Since Ms. Hawkins does not drive, Ms. Ward proudly does the driving when they go out. She ensures that Ms. Hawkins' freezer is filled with Omaha Steaks and other meats for her enjoyment. They both are very active and enjoy other fun-filled activities together. Sometimes, they sit and share memories of their earlier lives over tea.
Looking after seniors has always been her passion. An obvious sadness appeared in her voice as she stated "A lot of seniors seem to be forgotten, thrown in a corner and ignored". She proclaimed, "I live to help by any means necessary because it is my God-given passion. This new generation seems to lack compassion and respect for their elders and if they would only listen, they could learn some things. We have a lot to offer and should never be disrespected and forgotten".
Ms. Ward has two daughters who are her greatest accomplishment, Diana, an Entrepreneur from Milford, Massachusetts, and Nancy, a retiree in Communications in Miami, Florida. She has three grandchildren, Adam, Yves-Lauren, and Dionna, as well as four great-grandchildren, Naja, Sanai, Milan, and Johanna aka "The Baby.” They currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Ward is currently employed at PROJECT M.O.R.E. as an administrative assistant and still drives to work every business day. Her workday is from 7 am to 1 pm and she is actively involved in helping those who have been incarcerated to reacclimate to society. She assists in finding them housing, appropriate jobs, and enrollment in school to further their education for a better life.
Ms. Ward is a kind and generous humanitarian who is greatly appreciated, loved, and respected by her family and friends. She continues to make a difference in many lives.
She is our Honoree!
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Written by,
Carrie E. Robinson
Supporter
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Contributions may be made to the Bertha Mae Williams Foundation