For five years now, Centreville's Rhoda Eisenberg-Mendlow has organized local senior citizens to help teachers at Deer Park and London Towne elementary schools. They cut, paste, staple and do countless other tasks that save teachers valuable time.
But two of them, both residents of Forest Glen at Sully Station, are wheelchair-bound and unable to get to the schools on a regular basis. But with Eisenberg-Mendlow's assistance, Cleophus "Cleo" Mitchell, 66, and Joan Ruppert, 81, contribute just like the other volunteers from Forest Glen.
"It just goes to show there's a job for everyone, no matter what your disability," explained Eisenberg-Mendlow. "They wanted to help, and it shows the community that everyone can do something."
Working at a big table in Forest Glen's sunny and cheerful community area, they recently worked on projects together. Ruppert cut out bright-yellow papers into squares. On each square were the words, "I am a good citizen. I followed the rules," plus sunshines in each corner. The teachers would give them to students as rewards for good behavior.
Sitting across from her, Mitchell cut out laminated pictures of simple objects — fruit, a bottle, tuna, shrimp, soup, etc. — to help kindergartners learn to read. Both he and Ruppert were glad to do it.
"People were going over to the schools, but I couldn't because I'm in a wheelchair," said Ruppert. "But I wanted to help, so Rhoda asked me if I'd like to be a volunteer."
Mitchell, too, says Eisenberg-Mendlow got him involved. "She got tired of seeing me doing nothing, so she put me to work," he jokes. "But I enjoy doing it."
He and Ruppert make things for the students, too, such as bookmarks, and he also runs the Ellison press — a machine that presses out different-colored paper shapes. "I bring work over to them at Forest Glen, and they do it there," said Eisenberg-Mendlow. "Then I pick it up and bring it to school. It's very nice, and it saves the teachers from having to do it."
Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., and later, New Jersey, Ruppert moved to Virginia after her husband died. A retired Army nurse, she served in World War II on a hospital ship in the South Pacific. The U.S.S. Acadia had once been a cruise ship but, toward the end of the war, it was used by the military in Hawaii, Manila and Guam.
Ruppert has lived in Forest Glen for five years, but wanted to keep busy. She figured she could be useful by helping the teachers and students and would keep her mind sharp, too. "I may be old in age, but not in spirit," she said. "It makes you feel good, and it makes you proud that you can do something."
Degenerated hips and knees landed her in a wheelchair, but she's certainly productive, as is Mitchell. "During the summer, we cut Campbell's soup labels off of cans, counted them up and put them in packets of 50," said Ruppert. The schools then sent the labels to Campbell's and received classroom and P.E. equipment in exchange.
She and Mitchell also colored pictures in booklets teaching preschoolers and first-graders how to read. Not one for listening to people complain about their health problems — or talking about her own — Ruppert said the work "keeps us out of trouble. I probably would be sleeping or sitting around twiddling my thumbs, otherwise. And teachers don't have the time to do the things we do."
As for Mitchell, for 25 years, he was a coast-to-coast truck driver from Pittsburgh, Pa. He's lived at Forest Glen for nearly a year. Ironically, he said, "I was working for a demolition company and drove a truck for the company clearing the trees to build Forest Glen. I had no idea I'd someday be living here."
Circulation problems caused the loss of his legs, and he's been in a wheelchair for five years. But he's found a home and new friends at Forest Glen.
"He likes to talk to all the women here," said Eisenberg-Mendlow. "He tells us jokes about his playing football," added Ruppert. But he takes his work for the schools seriously, and it's also helped reaffirm his sense of self-worth.
"It's important because it's something to help the kids learn," explained Mitchell. "It's good for me, too. It keeps me occupied. Otherwise, I'd be looking out the window or watching TV. If you sit around doing nothing, you get bored." Besides, he said, "It makes me feel very good inside."
Eisenberg-Mendlow has the senior-volunteers program up and running at four Fairfax County schools. Besides London Towne and Deer Park — which have about 30 senior volunteers — the program is also at Navy and McNair elementaries.
Deer Park principal Lynne Pope says her students and teachers really appreciate the seniors' contributions to the daily life of each child in the school. Said Pope: "They make the children's lives broader and richer."
She said the yellow notes of encouragement Ruppert was cutting out enable teachers to give students "the kind of positive recognition that gives children something to hang onto in these troubled times." Regarding the pictures of simple objects that Mitchell was working with, Pope said they're also used to enable autistic students to express their wants and needs.
"We can do so much more for the kids because of their help and support," she said. "These volunteers are touching the future."
Walt Mallory, London Towne's principal, agrees. "It's very good for the children to see older people contributing," he said. "And our teachers are able to get bulletin boards and other projects done [because of the seniors' help]."
Overall, said Mallory, "It's just a great thing for the senior citizens to feel useful. And a lot of these children don't have grandparents around, so it's nice for them to come into contact with friendly older people. I'd like to see the program expanded and have them also come in as readers [and other resources]."
If that happens, Eisenberg-Mendlow knows her seniors will be up to the task. "They're so dependable," she said. "When I bring them something, it gets done — and they do it right. Just because you're physically challenged doesn't mean that you can't contribute to society."