Canfield woman is honored as one of 12 Caregivers of the Year

Weldon helps knit items for nursing home patients.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- Even if it's only for lunch and a game of Scrabble, or a ride to the doctor's office or the grocery store, Ruth Cichanski is always grateful for her visits from Canfield resident Pauline Weldon.
"She's made a difference in my life," said Cichanski, 78, of Boardman. "She's not just a caregiver, she's a friend to me now, and that means a lot."
Weldon, 72, has been visiting Cichanski at least once a week since September as a caregiver with Volunteer Service to Seniors, which is affiliated with Faith in Action, a national volunteer organization. She's been helping seniors as a volunteer in various capacities since the early 1990s.
"It just gives you a real warm feeling to help these people, and they do need help, if they live alone, if they have no family," Weldon said.
The Ohio Department of Aging recently honored Weldon for her commitment to Cichanski and other seniors by naming her one of 12 Ohio Caregivers of the Year.
"I think she just exemplifies volunteerism at its best," said Chuck Schiffhauer, project coordinator for the United Way's Volunteer Services Agency Inc., of Youngstown. Schiffhauer nominated Weldon for the award.
Praise from other volunteers
Julie Virgalittle, who knits items for nursing home residents with Weldon at St. Michael Church in Canfield, said Weldon is an outgoing, giving person who deserves the recognition from the state.
"She helps anybody she can," Virgalitte said. Sally Roberts, who also has volunteered with Weldon at the church, added that Weldon is "right there if you need a helping hand."
Weldon said she started volunteering about 12 years ago, while she was still working in the cafeteria at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. She had spent much of the previous 11 years caring for her mother, her husband, and his aunt before their deaths.
A support group Weldon joined after her husband's death suggested that she volunteer, and she considered helping out at a Hospice facility. That, however, proved to be too emotionally difficult.
"I could not volunteer because I did not think I could handle watching someone else who was ill and not being able to help them," she said.
Weldon eventually joined the knitting group at the church, and she volunteered with an organization that makes weekly phone calls to seniors who live alone. She first met Cichanski over the telephone.
Developed friendship
Weldon first visited Cichanski's home in September, and the two women now spend three or four hours playing Scrabble, going to lunch or going shoppping each week.
Both women said they've developed a close friendship over the months.
"If the sun's shining out, I'll call her and say, 'Hey, the sun's shining.' She always feels better when the sun's shining," Weldon said. She retired from the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center in 1997.
"She always gives me a hug when I get there. When I leave, she gives me the biggest hug and tells me I'm the best friend she has," Weldon said.
Cichanski said Weldon makes it a point to ensure that they both get out of the house during their visits.
"She always makes time for everybody. She's so good-hearted," Cichanski said.
Weldon said she plans to continue to volunteer and help seniors for as long as she can.
hill@vindy.com