DAILY NEWS PEOPLE : JEAN HARWOOD.Byline: - Shawn Wylie There is a biblical proverb proverb, short statement of wisdom or advice that has passed into general use. More homely than aphorisms, proverbs generally refer to common experience and are often expressed in metaphor, alliteration, or rhyme, e.g. that reads, ``As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.'' Jean Harwood is a compassionate, simple woman who has been blessed with a heart that overflows with an abundance of love, warmth and understanding. She shares the overflow with all those who cross her path. Jean humbly admits there are so many other women who do more, yet she has touched her next-door neighbors' lives so much that they recommended her for a Daily News People profile. ``This energetic lady does not stop moving - bake sales “Bake Sale” redirects here. For the episode from the TV show 8 Simple Rules, see List of 8 Simple Rules episodes. A bake sale is a fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies, sometimes along with ethnic foods, are sold. , counseling, visits or meetings,'' wrote her neighbors, Ray and Roxie Holm holm n. Chiefly British An island in a river. [Middle English, from Old Norse h . ``Jean has helped many women whose personal mistake might otherwise be a disaster.'' RESIDENCE: Woodland Hills. BORN AND RAISED IN: New Jersey. Jean and her husband, Donald, moved to the Valley in 1949. OCCUPATION: Retired. MARITAL STATUS marital status, n the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage state. : Widowed. CHILDREN: Roger of Seattle; Diane Albracht of Sebastopol, Calif.; Keith of Antioch, Calif.; Donna Robert of North Hills; Stephen, who died at age 7 from a congenital heart disorder; and 10 grandchildren GRANDCHILDREN, domestic relations. The children of one's children. Sometimes these may claim bequests given in a will to children, though in general they can make no such claim. 6 Co. 16. . VOLUNTEERISM: Jean has been a parishioner at St. Mel's St. Mel's is the name of both the cathedral and the secondary boys' boarding and day school located in the town of Longford in Ireland. The episcopal seat was moved from nearby Ballymahon (?? should it not be Aradgh) in the 19th century. Catholic Church in Woodland Hills for about 45 years, where she does most of her volunteering. She is a Eucharist minister, a person who delivers Holy Communion to the homebound home·bound adj. Restricted or confined to home, as of an invalid. , and Jean helps with a variety of fund-raising activities, meetings and readings. She is also a volunteer for the Right to Life nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. and is involved with Angel's Way, a maternity home maternity home Obstetrics Birth center, see there Social medicine A residence for pregnant ♀ for young women. Angel's Way provides pregnant young women a place to stay, counseling and medical assistance, if needed. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?: ``Well, I'm not as active as a lot of lovely ladies are, but when my children were small, we had a women's club Women’s clubs first arose in the United States during the post-civil war period. As a result of increased leisure time due to modern household advances, middle class women had more time to engage in intellectual pursuits. (at St. Mel's) and when anyone needed help, we just helped. It's just doing what you think is right. I'm just an everyday person who loves to help.'' WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER?: ``I love people. I'm a people person. When I hear people need help, well, that's it. I was raised that way. My mother was that way, too. It does rub off.'' BIGGEST DILEMMA: ``Probably the biggest was seeing my little boy with heart trouble.'' MOST DIFFICULT DAILY TASK: ``Not being able to do my everyday things I would love to do because of sickness or weather. I had a heart attack two years ago.'' FAVORITE DAILY TASK: ``Going to daily Mass in the morning and picking up my 9-year-old grandson from school and dealing with him. I also like doing housework; my friends think I'm nuts.'' GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: ``My greatest accomplishment was getting married and then being a mother and grandmother. I love children.'' GOALS FOR THE FUTURE: ``To keep well enough to be independent.'' WHO RELIES ON YOU THE MOST AND WHO YOU RELY ON: ``My daughter, Donna, but (my children) all seem to call me.'' Likewise, Jean relies on her daughter, Donna, along with neighbors and friends. ``Donna, because she worries about me a lot, and my neighbors and friends because they also helped me when I had a heart attack.'' ROLE MODELS: ``I guess my role models when I was growing up were my parents. They were just the best parents. I hear stories about children being abused and I think I was really blessed for having the type of parents I had. My mother was a churchgoer and was always helping somebody, and this was in the Depression.'' HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?: ``By happiness and contentment Contentment Aglaos poor peasant said by the Delphic oracle to be happier than the king because he was contented. [Gk. Myth.: Benét, 15] , but contentment is the most important. People want to buy clothes with name tags and all that, but that never mattered to me. I feel I'm successful because I have raised a wonderful family who have given me wonderful grandchildren.'' FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: ``Just being able to visit my family and friends.'' Do you know a Valley resident who has made a unique contribution through volunteer work? CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Jean Harwood Terri Thuente/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion