Guests at The Aged Woman’s Home of Georgetown, as we enter the spring of 2022, range in age from 66 to 90. We have Guests who are just a month or so with us, one since 1993, and several between 8 and 15 years. Providing these Guests with housing at no charge continues to be the Home’s mission. We also strive to create a nurturing and stable community within which the Home’s Guests can thrive.
One of our Guests, Sylvia, states the Home has allowed her to live independently and have a place to stay that is safe in a lovely neighborhood. Sylvia worked throughout her years living at the Home until 2015 when she officially retired. She worked a variety of jobs at the Vida Center, the oldest Hispanic non-profit organization in Washington D.C. She utilized senior job search programs in the District to find her position at Vida. She gives a laugh, and reports, “No, I did not have a high wage, but always worked hard and enjoyed my work immensely.” Her extra money allowed her to purchase needed items, food, and some clothes. When Sylvia was young she reports all of her belongings were stolen, and she was left with nothing. She remembers this trauma and feels this was the start of her love affair with her wardrobe, since she had to eventually find a way to replace her beautiful stolen clothes. She has just recently given up heels at the insistence of the Home’s Staff, but never fails to delight in her beautiful outfits at our events.
Originally from Chile, Sylvia recounts a childhood filled with music—her father was famous folk singer who traveled throughout South America and even came to New York to play music. Sylvia, when she was in high school, was in a singing group herself, and had a few spots on the radio, first singing jingles and then full songs, she reports, in four different languages—Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. Her French much improved studying in France, where she originally went to University to study literature and French.
Sylvia reveals to this writer she feels blessed to be at the Home, and we are certainly blessed to have her. Sylvia’s many talents—singing, story-telling, creative design, cooking, love of flowers, and enthusiasm for life make her a wonderful member of the Home’s community.
To find out more about Vida Senior Center’s vital services in the District of Columbia follow this link to their website: https://www.vidaseniorcenter.org/.
