LITTLE ROCK — Back in 1977, Linda Jordan and her friend, Bobbie Blackshear, invited about a dozen homebound senior citizens to lunch at one of their homes.
“I’ve always loved older people and knew a lot of really sweet older people who were shut-ins, and I asked Bobbie if she wanted to host a luncheon for some people who were older or lonely and she immediately said yes,” recalls Jordan.
In the 35 years since then, the friends have continued the tradition twice yearly, inviting elderly guests whose health makes it difficult to leave their homes.
The longtime friends, both 68 and members of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, invite elderly members of their church, but the luncheon is not church-sponsored and their guest list includes nonmembers, says Jordan, who coordinates a telephonebased Sunday School class for homebound church members.
On a recent Thursday morning, 29 guests arrived at Blackshear’s west Little Rock home to break bread together.
“We serve a nice lunch, have a few minutes ofmusical entertainment, then they all have an opportunity to say their name and something special they want to share with the group,” Jordan explains, adding that a photograph of each guest is taken and later mailed to them.
It’s not an elaborate affair. But it’s so much more than just a meal, she says.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m. last Thursday, guests began streaming into Blackshear’s home dressed in their Sunday best, their faces brimming with smiles.
“It is a heartwarming sight to behold, all those folks making an extraordinary effort to come,” Jordan says.
One guest’s daughter drove from Memphis to transport her mother to the luncheon, and another guest’s grandson drove from Sherwood to Sheridan to Little Rock.
Seated at tables adorned with Battenburg lace place mats and vases of pink and yellow roses accented with baby’s breath, each guest was given a glass of raspberry lemonade and a delicate china plate filled with chicken and fruit salad, marinated vegetables and a roll. Dessert was a slice of lemon pie and coffee.
Many of the guests were in their 80s and 90s.
Hazel Curry, 100, seated at a table in the sunroom, chatted with longtime friends. She has attended for 20 years.
“I’ve seen a lot of different people come and go and there are also some who have come as long as I have,” says Curry. “This is the only time I get to see everyone, and I’m always so glad to see people I’ve known for so long.”
Pat Malmstrom, Dale Loe, and Steve Thomas, friends of the hostesses, assist by driving guests who don’t have transportation, helping them into the house and serving food and drinks.
“We couldn’t do it without their help,” Jordan says, adding that those who volunteer in this effort are, in turn,richly rewarded.
“It’s neat to get to visit with these seniors and get to hear their stories from the past,” says Thomas, 53, who helped out for the first time.
“It’s been interesting to hear their stories, and it’s a good feeling to just help people,” agrees Loe, 74.
“Those of us helping receive the greatest blessing,” Jordan says. “They are all so happy and smiling, enjoying every minute of it. To some guests, it’s a bright spot in their lives.”
Jordan says there is evidence that the guests treasure the memories made during the meal and fellowship.
“One man carried his pictures from the luncheons he’d attended in his suit pocket and would pull them out at church and proudly show them,” Jordan recalls. “After another man’s death, a family member going through his belongings said he found the pictures, several of the invitations to our luncheons and his name tags from the luncheons among the things he had saved over the years.”
Altee Maulden, 90, who’s been attending the luncheons since 2009, once expressedhis thanks to his hostesses by sending them a fruitcake, along with an e-mail stating: “I was reviewing my previous luncheons and thought of all the work and expense you two had gone to in order to make our visit pleasant that I felt a little thank-you was called for.”
When asked at last Thursday’s luncheon what his favorite part of the gathering was, he grinned and replied, “All of it.”
Dorothy Burke, 88, has been attending for about 6 years.
“It makes me feel special,” she says, adding, “And it’s so nice to meet new people I don’t know. I love spending time with them.”
Jordan, who enjoys finding inspirational quotes and sharing them with others, offered her guests these words of advice:
“He who imparts cheerfulness is adding to the wealthof the world.”
Blackshear recalls how she and Jordan began with one luncheon and then another, until it evolved into a tradition.
“After the first one, we looked at each other and said, ‘We’ll have to do this again,’” she recalls. “And from thenon, we just kept on doing it.
“Many of them feel like this is an extended family to them,” Blackshear says. “It’s just so wonderful to be able to visit with them faceto-face and get them out of their apartments and nursing homes and wherever they may be living,” she says.
“They love that it’s done especially for them and just to have the opportunity to dress up and get out. Some of them are old friends and haven’t seen each other in years.”
More than three decades later, the women who began the luncheon tradition as busy young wives are now in the phase of life that usually includes grandchildren and retirement. They used to alternate opening their homes for the gathering, but after becoming an emptynester, Jordan downsized to a smaller home and can nolonger host.
How long will they continue to open their hearts and a home to these friends in need?
“Until the ones attending are people our age,” Jordan says. “We will do it for as long as we are able to because we enjoy it as much as they do.”
Family, Pages 34 on 06/13/2012