Darby's Dash Welcomes Special Guest - Wickett!!

St. Ann Center is excited to welcome Wickett as our special guest at Darby’s Dash. Wickett is a 5 year old Shih Tzu/Pekingese Mix on wheels. In 2010 Wickett and his owner Sarah were in a car accident that left the young dog paralyzed. From then on his life in a two-wheel cart could not slow down this exceptional little dog. Still full of life, he immediately took to his wheels and now, he is even training to be a certified therapy dog. 

At Darby’s Dash – St. Ann Center’s first ever pet-friendly and family-fun 5K run/1mile walk – participants will have the chance to meet Wickett and Sarah.  Darby’s Dash was created to honor the amazing volunteer dogs that visit St. Ann Center on a daily basis to spend time with our adults and children at St. Ann Center.  Wickett will not be staying home just because of his condition, and this event invites our pets, family, and friends to come outdoors and enjoy a community event and engage in an active lifestyle regardless of life’s challenges. Wickett and Sarah’s story relates closely to the lives of St. Ann Center’s clients – especially those who have their own wheelchairs. Read Sarah's perspective on how Wickett has changed her life; plus, how he continues to inspire her and everyone they meet.

Wickett on Wheels

“To say that my experience with Wickett has changed my world would be an understatement. Our car accident and what happened to him was the worst day of my life, but it turned into something really unique and beautiful. It has changed every part of my life, from my career to the way that I think about the world and being more attuned to the needs and situations of animals and people around me.”

In Early 2010 Sarah and her energetic Shih Tzu / Pekingese mix were on their way to work when they were T-boned by another driver speeding through a residential neighborhood.   Both Sarah and Wickett were badly injured.  Wickett shattered one of his spinal vertebrae and was instantly paralyzed.

“I asked my Grandma, who lost her leg below the knee to complications from a heart attack 10 years ago, what she thought about the idea of a dog in a cart. As a person living in a wheelchair, did she think it was mean to do this to a dog? Did she think his life would be happy? Her answer was the only one I needed to know, that I was making the right choice with Wickett. She said that yes her life was different after she lost her leg, but it was still her life and she loved it, and, if anyone tried to put her down she'd BITE them--and she thought that Wickett would say the same!”

For Sarah, caring for Wickett and his new needs was never a question, it was just a continuation of the promise she made when she adopted him.  After much medical care and casts, they created a wheeled cart to allow Wickett to continue living a fairly normal dog’s life.  It took some adjusting, but Wickett quickly learned that he could still do many things that other dogs do. Wickett is a perfect example of how happy and healthy an animal with a disability can be, given the right home care and love. 

“When we go to the dog park he is always a topic of conversation and a really good opportunity for people to see his smiling face and maybe change the way they think about handicapped pets. He is very physically independent with the help of his cart, and at the dog park he will run across the field faster than I can to go meet new people and visit. I get every reaction from ‘Aww’ to ‘That's so awesome’ to ‘That poor thing, you should put him down’ to ‘I couldn’t do that’.  People often praise me for caring for him.”

Sarah’s sentiments resonate with caregivers and so many clients’ stories at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, where people of all ages and abilities receive day services.   Whether loved ones are elderly, disabled or 4-legged, they all deserve to experience life and quality care even through life’s toughest challenges. 

“I never imagined how much Wickett would change my life. I have a best friend and companion in everything I do, and I have an opportunity in a compelling way to educate people and to pass on Wickett's love of life. He inspires me to be grateful and smile and always remember that the worst day of your life can turn into the best path life ever set you on.”

Meet Sarah and Wickett at Darby’s Dash on Saturday, October 4th at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. This event will be our first pet-friendly and family fun 5K & 1 Mile Walk/Run. All ages and abilities are welcome to participate.  For more information and to register for this great event please click here>

Blessed by their daily presence...

St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care is one of eleven Corporate Ministries sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (OSF). OSF corporate ministries currently serve the underserved in communities in four states, providing critical services to those living with special needs, especially those who are young, frail, or challenged with disabilities.

To learn more about OSF's Corporate Ministries, go to http://www.lakeosfs.org/.

Even though each ministry is separately incorporated, all eleven corporate ministries sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi are united by the Franciscan values: Creating a caring community, Sharing compassion for others, Reverence for creation, and Peacemaking.

We will share more about these values in future blogs, but suffice it to say here that these values reflect our commitment to live and create community together through being with those in need.

So we here, at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, are not only employees and volunteers of St. Ann Center – we are also responsible for continuing the ministry originally founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi and carrying out their mission and values. 

As an OSF corporate ministry, St. Ann Center is very blessed by the daily presence of many Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi who work and volunteer daily at the center. Our upcoming Fall Seasons of Life newsletter features profiles on the many Sisters that give their time and positivity to promote peace, justice, and the fulfillment of the mission and purpose of St. Ann Center.

Together, all of us at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care are responsible for creating a caring community that bridges the age gap and provides innovative programs to those in need and who might otherwise not receive our love and care.

Discovering the Hidden Jewels of St. Ann Center

   We are so thankful for the many volunteers that we have here at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. Without their hard work and dedication, we would not be able to reach those in need of our love and care. Many of our volunteers travel out into the community to raise awareness and spread the reach of our programs and services. Others, like Sister Jeanne d'Arc Omilan, come into the Center to help with the myriad of activities and programs that we offer in-house.

   Sister Jeanne d’Arc has been volunteering for St. Ann for ­­­­14 years, and at 97 years of age, that is no small feat.  After retiring in 1991, she began her second career as a volunteer. She has been putting her time and effort towards helping organizations in the Milwaukee community extend the outreach of their missions and services.  Our center is one of the many recipients blessed by her touch. In addition to helping out with the Jewelry department here at St. Ann Center, she also volunteers with several other Sisters in a local jail outreach.

   In the Jewelry Department here at St. Ann Center, it is the careful eye and the keen attention to detail that she provides as donation intake specialist that allows valuable pieces of jewelry to not go unnoticed. And 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these donations go towards providing the much needed services to our clients who otherwise would not be able to afford them.  This includes baths, therapy, rehabilitation, and integrative counseling services.

   Without Sister Jeanne d’Arc’s faith and commitment to the mission of St. Ann Center, some of these hidden gems would go unnoticed. As she kindly says about St. Ann’s founder and President Sister Edna Lonergan, “She has the vision and we do the work.”

Jewelry Sales at St. Ann Center

St. Ann Center has become quite well known for its gently used and vintage jewelry sales. How did this happen? In the very beginning when Sr. Edna Lonergan, founder and president of St. Ann Center, conceived of the idea of adult day care the looming question arose, “How are you going to afford to do this?” Sr. Edna decided she would raise the money, even if it was by nickels and dimes. And so, it began with some donated rummage items and weekend rummage sales.

Soon she started asking the community to donate new or gently used and vintage jewelry for resale. And oh boy did the community respond. Each week the sisters would get donations of jewelry. They would sort the jewelry and number it and attach it to special jewelry cards. Before they knew it, they had thousands of donated jewelry items. The sales began to grow and St. Ann Center began outside jewelry sales, taking their goods to off-site venues. It has become very successful.

St. Ann Center holds two yearly on-site jewelry sales, its next used and vintage jewelry sale will be on Saturday, March 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This will be a very special “Soup’er BLOWOUT Jewelry Sale.” There will be literally thousands of items from rings to watches, from earrings to necklaces. There will also be home made soup for eat in or carry out. This is the sale you don’t want to miss.

"Love Knows No Age"
The traditional motto of St. Ann Center has been "Love knows no age." This refers of course to its unique intergenerational approach to day services for children, frail elderly and adults with disabilities.

However, it also refers just as aptly to our volunteer friends next door at St. Francis Convent and Clare Hall–the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi who are retired but by no means ready to sit back and let the world go by. They are determined to continue serving in the same spirit that has characterized their entire lives as followers of St. Francis and St. Clare.

Several of these dedicated sisters walk or drive in all kinds of weather to St. Ann's several times a week to help with tasks that make it the unique place of service and hospitality that it is for the young, old and in-between who come for day service, therapy, bathing or just a human touch.

Sr. Ancille Horgan dispenses her gentle, personal warmth in the smoothy bar loated in the new section that includes the respite center, hair and nail salon and outpatient rehabilitation. She also helps the clients with their food at mealtime.

Sr. Verna Kayser, Sr. Rose Marie Kruse and Sr. Jeanne d'Arc Omilan patiently and carefully sort, clean and repair the gently used, vintage jewelry that has been donated to St. Ann's for resale.

Sr. Lenore Steilen enjoys (and she will tell you this) creating delicious baked goods for the Café and all of St. Ann's events and sales on and off site. She even had an article in the Journal Sentinel a while back featuring her baking skills and cookies.

Sr. Clara Styger works with patience, skill and wit as a therapy assistant in outpatient rehabilitation. She helps clients in a special program called restorative therapy that enables those whose insurance has run out to continue their progress.

Sr. Leonette Gertner helps quietly but with that special gift of joy "behind the scenes" preparing and packaging soup mixes and other items for the gift shop. She also pitches in with special mailings from time to time.

Other sisters who help in additional ways are: Sr. Bernadette Garbian who provides the gift of music, Sr. Philip Neri who assists at Shepherd House–our special facility for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia and Sr. Lucille Pritzl who serves in the Seasons of Life.

Their wonderful hands-on service goes well beyond the physical things they do, as each of them shares her unique brand of Franciscan spirit with clients, staff and visitors. These sisters could be doing other things with their retirement–and many serve in other places and causes as well–but they also come to St. Ann's to give of their time and skills to better the lives of others. So what has changed in the lives they have always dedicated as Sisters? It's true, they no longer are in teaching, nursing or administrative positions, but they continue to serve with real Franciscan spirit. They have much to give–and give it–as those who are benefit from their service know first hand. And beyond that, all of us at St. Ann's are immeasurably enriched, by their presence and, yes, their prayers!

As one leader of a charitable cause expressed it recently:

"If you can find the time–and you can–volunteering is a wonderful way to help us help so many others. When you volunteer your time and talents, you free up precious staff time and resources we can redirect to other areas of need. And as a volunteer, you get as good as you give, making new friends and expanding your horizons. And, of course, there's the pleasure, unlike any other, of helping someone in need."

From grateful clients and staff, thank you, to our volunteer sisters!