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BY PAT LINDSEY
For the past few years, members of Soroptimist International of North St. Louis County have offered their services to Lydia’s House, a shelter for battered women and children. Several times a year, the club members clean and redecorate apartments at Lydia’s House with items they have collected.

Club member Colleen Simon, who is the administrator of Village North Retirement Community, heard the call for more household items and decided to ask residents of Village North for some of their unwanted things. Simon sent out the request for participation in a “Season of Giving” in their community newsletter and then set up a small tree in the billiards room. The tree was decorated with little notes with suggestions for items that could be donated and instructions to leave those items under the tree. Simon thought the folks at Village North would gather a few things to add to what the Soroptimists had already collected. Then, Simon took medical leave.

A few weeks later when Simon returned to work, she was amazed to see all the dishes, lamps, toys, sheets, pillows, comforters, blankets, and kitchen items under the tree. “There were so many things piled in the room that the little tree could no longer be seen,” Simon said. “About 50 residents and 20 staff members had collected three pick-up trucks full of items for Lydia’s House,” she said with pride.

Since a truck was not available to take the items to Lydia’s House, the Village North bus served as the delivery truck. And when the staff at Lydia’s House saw the busload of desperately needed items, they thanked Simon, the residents of Village North, and the Soroptimist club for making Lydia’s House the recipient of a most appreciated “Season of Giving.”

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