Helping Hands group disbands – Tracy Area Headlight Herald

A number of people, including those pictured here, were major contributors to the Helping Hands group. Pictured, front, from left: Jeanine Vandendriessche, LaVerne Jessen, Dorine Brock, Diane Bader. Back, from left: Prairie View Director Brian Hinrichs, Lois VanDerWilt, Marj Ostgaard, Marilyn Carlson, Pat Breczinski, LuAnn Kern. Not pictured, Sharon Kosse, Jeanette Lanoue, Sue Muenchow, Joyce Osland, Doreen Vandewiele. Others who have been a part of the group over the years include Mary Lou Anderson, Mary Gilb, Alita Lenertz, Ellen Mattson, Pat Nelson, Linda Petit, Muriel Reinert, Cathy Rue, Louis VanMoer, Goldie Wilking and Marcia Hubner. Submitted photo

A hard-working and dedicated group that dates back to the early 1980s and was created to improve the lives of Prairie view Senior Living residents in numerous ways is no longer.

Serving Hands Auxiliary, which began at Prairie View in 2007, has disbanded due to the lack of new members and current members aging out.

“It’s sad to see them disband,” said LuAnn Kern, Community Life Coordinator at Prairie View Senior Living. “They have provided assistance to us in many ways. Also, it is sad for them as it is an important activity for many of them as well.”

The members who started the group had been part of the Auxiliary of the Tracy Nursing Home, Kern said. With that facility closing, they reached out to Prairie View to see if they would be interested in having an auxiliary.