Page 58 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2023 - Online Magazine
P. 58
Exceptional
SENIORS
SEASON
of
Change
Chang
e
Chang e by Laura Landes
Ridge Chapel to be part of such a personal level to what these women
significant event in their lives. He were going through. With her help,
noticed during this first dinner that, the group was able to expand its
after visiting with him for a bit, reach by filling the lonely days
they began to visit more with one and nights with fun, uplifting
another. He made the decision to activities and events, creating a safe
continue to do dinners at the end place for widows, young, old, and
of each month. This group (at that in-between, to find the love and
time called the “Lake Ridge Ladies”) support they desperately needed
continued to grow and now, 15 years from one another.
later, has over 1100 members.
fter opening its doors in For the past ten years, Gayle,
May of 2007, Lake Ridge Due to the overwhelming success along with numerous other charter
AChapel and Memorial and growth of the ladies’ group, members, has been a driving
Designers soon changed the Santos decided to offer our force behind the Ladies of Lake
meaning of the word “Aftercare” as widowers the same opportunity for Ridge, and the first friendly smile
it relates to funeral home services. It camaraderie. In 2015, he began a our new widows would see once
did not take long for Santos Moreno monthly breakfast at Cracker Barrel. they mustered the strength and
to put a plan in place that would He soon discovered that men grieve courage to attend their first event.
become one of the largest and most much differently than women and She introduced new attendees to
well-known “Aftercare” programs in are not as apt to show their emotions seasoned members, and along with
our area. freely. That Lake Ridge Men’s our charter members, they became
Breakfast usually had 4 to 12 men in mentors for the newcomers as they
Following the first few months of attendance and just never got off the faced a new chapter in life. Gayle
this service, he began noticing that ground as previously hoped. has touched the lives of many and
several of the widows occasionally cared for their individual needs
returned to the funeral home “just to Desiring to take the Lake Ridge —even outside of group events.
visit.” It became apparent that, not Ladies group to the next level but Likewise, as she and our members
only did they want to be near those understanding his first priority was have cried, laughed, dined, gamed,
who helped them through such dark to provide superior service to at- traveled, and spent thousands of
moments, but also, they needed need families, Santos incorporated hours together, she has formed
something to fill their time. the help of his long-time friend, many lifelong friendships.
Gayle Severe, formerly Gayle
Santos felt he should invite the ones Saunders. Gayle had suffered In 2022, rather than having separate
who showed up most often to dine a similar loss years prior and groups, we decided to open the
together to show his appreciation understood what it felt like to be widows’ events to the widowers as
for them having allowed Lake widowed, relating on a deeply well, and ironically, this decision
58 Lubbock Senior Link
