Melissa Kalicicki, Annual Gifts Officer
At a young age, Helen discovered that God had given her the ability to organize and create things. In many ways, this special gift saw her through joyous and difficult times alike. Formerly a chaplain to mostly female inmates with Jubilee Ministries, Helen retired after her husband’s accident in 1990.
Jim suffered a head injury that changed their lives in many ways. Since he was a Mennonite bishop prior to his accident, the church helped them financially, but Helen longed to continue doing something creative, so she became a Creative Memories consultant for twelve years before moving to Landis Homes in 2005.
“I’m a project developer and I love being creative. My first invitation to be a volunteer came from another resident who needed assistance weeding flower beds. Through volunteering I became acquainted with others on campus, and it led to more opportunities,” Helen says.
From assisting with landscaping, to organizing the Share-A-Meal portion of Fellowship Day for seven years, Helen found creative ways to help others. During the recent Christmas Bazaar, Helen made Christmas flower arrangements with all proceeds going to the Caring Fund.
“I am dedicated to Landis Homes and want to make things good for everyone. Who knows, maybe someday we will need the Caring Fund like others do. Until then, I’m appreciative that people can continue living here regardless of their financial situation.”
Helen’s latest project is making spring flower arrangements from her own gardens. All proceeds will go to the Caring Fund like they did for the Christmas Bazaar. She got this idea after making bouquets during the 2018 Fellowship Day. Since people bought them, she thought it’d be fun to do some for springtime.
“I’ve learned over the years that God can give us strength to do things we didn’t know we could do. Even if my situation seems like a disaster, I can count on the Lord to give me strength, and I’m thankful, that, at Landis Homes, I’ve had the chance to use the abilities He gave me to help others.”