Bill & Ilona’s Story

Married for 30 years, Bill and Ilona are outgoing and upbeat despite their serious health issues. Ilona has faced an array of medical challenges, including cancer, an aneurysm and multiple knee surgeries. Bill can’t work any longer due to an inflammatory arthritis of his spine and tremors in his hands. “We don’t let anything get us down,” Ilona says. But it’s difficult to do certain ordinary things like clearing the sidewalk when it snows. “It’s just a short bit of sidewalk but we worry. We don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Bill says. “That includes us,” Ilona adds with a smile.

That’s why Bill and Ilona are so grateful for Snow Angels, a United Way-funded program and partner in United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior volunteer recruitment initiative. Snow Angels matches snow-shoveling volunteers with elderly and disabled neighbors who can’t clear their own walks. Brent, their volunteer, lives nearby. “Brent never misses. He comes even if there’s just a sprinkle of snow, and he’s so quick that he’s usually done and gone before we can even thank him.” Brent’s kindness gives Bill and Ilona peace of mind. They aren’t housebound anymore when it snows. But mostly, “It feels so good to know that somebody cares enough to help us. Brent doesn’t have to do this for us. He helps because he’s a wonderful person. That’s pretty special.”