Support Carrie and Delores with a Ramp

Hello! My name is Tanya Newman. I have had the honor and privilege of knowing Carrie Merritt and Delores Arrowood since I was a little girl growing up in small-town Glenwood, IA. Whether it be passing by their house walking to my Grandma's, stopping to chat and Grandma Carrie making sure I round that corner okay, or in church and Sunday school where Carrie is always lending a hand, especially at the Hamball Luncheons and bazaars, seeing and chatting with them while hanging out at the house with their amazing daughters and granddaughters Michelle Arrowood and Sakura Yodogawa-Campbell, being the complete angels we were of course, or stopping by Mills County Historical Museum where Carrie volunteered 20 years of her time, and several years as president, along with the tedious task of paperwork to get it registered as a non-profit. And her new favorite hot-spot hangout of choice, the Bloom Senior Center that she helped establish more than a decade ago. Delores loves to listen to us girls reminisce of the days of old (the 90’s) and tolerates the banter back and forth, what a good sport, that lady! She worked at Glen Haven on the overnight shift for many, many years and I always wondered how the heck she did those hours for that span of time, but it’s in her DNA, that’s for sure! Thank you, Delores for taking care of those that needed it most, I know it was not an easy job! Carrie has done so much and without hesitation for our community, never batting an eye while doing it. Mind you, she just celebrated her 99th birthday on September 1st of this year. She is always positive in her outlooks on life, ready to crack a joke and be a shoulder to lean on whenever needed. I feel the need to pay it forward to her and her family in a time of need. Carrie recently had a hospital stay where it was discovered she had a compression fracture and severe stenosis. She underwent a procedure to help stabilize her and is now recovering and working her tail off at rehab. Believe me, this lady knows work, as she called the Glenwood State Hospital School her main gig for 40 years! For her and her daughter Delores Arrowood, they are having a wheelchair ramp placed for ease of access in and out of the home for them both. This is not something that is considered a medical necessity per their insurance, so it is considered out of pocket. I would like to just ease their minds with some outpouring of good human kindness—it still exists, I know it does—to help them all navigate through this transition and make it a little less stressful at the end of the day. Anything helps and is so greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for your contribution.

Sincerely,

Tanya from Townsend St