Love was in the air at St. Ursula’s Multi-Purpose Center on Tuesday morning, February 13, as Love City’s senior citizens gathered to honor Reubenia Hill and Elizabeth Stevens.
About 50 people came out for the center’s 21st annual pre-Valentine’s Day recognition luncheon, the first of five yearly programs hosted by the center. Other recognition luncheons are conducted before Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas.
The luncheons are small tokens of appreciation for the people who do great deeds in the community, explained St. Ursula’s Multi-Purpose Center director Clarence Scipio.
Remembering Seniors
“Seniors are the ones who did almost everything for people in this community,” said Scipio. “Every child, every parent has learned something from a senior. People might forget about them, but not at this center — we do not forget.”
Hill, who is also active with her congregation at Bethany Moravian Church, volunteers at the center where she teaches crafts and other skills to fellow senior citizens.
The active senior herself was born in Virgin Gorda and moved to St. John in the 1950s where she first worked at Island Services, Inc. which included Texaco Service Station.
Hill also worked for Guy H. Benjamin when he was an education officer for the V.I. Department of Education. She was employed with the Depart-ment of Education, where she also worked at Julius E. Sprauve School and Guy Benjamin School (then Benjamin Franklin School) until her retirement in 1992.
Volunteer, Participant
Stevens is a volunteer as well as a participant at the center where she spends many afternoons and is always willing to lend a helping hand, explained Scipio.
A mother of nine children, Stevens was born in St. Lucia and moved to Love City in 1991 where she found work at Caneel Bay Resort until 2003. She is employed part-time at the V.I. Department of Human Services.
A number of family members, friends and dignitaries’ representatives presented the ladies with flowers, certificates of appreciation and cards, including a certificate of special U.S. Congres-sional recognition presented by Delegate to Congress’ St. John aide Aldria Harley-Wade.
The honorees will also receive commemorative plaques from the senior citizen’s center.
Plaques of Thanks
“We generally give these honorees a plaque because though the community might forget them, when they hang this on the wall, years after they’re gone, their grandchildren will say ‘At least someone said thank you,’” Scipio said.
The seniors’ voices rose in song for the “Senior Citizen’s Theme Song” with the chorus “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah Senior Citizens are marching on,” to the tune of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Elaborate Lunch Served
The group enjoyed an elaborate lunch prepared by the center’s staff which put everyone in the mood for Valentine’s Day.
St. Ursula’s Senior Citizen’s Multi-Purpose Center provides meals and other support services, including entertainment and educational activities, to seniors in the community.