charity spotlight
Helping an Elderly Man Visit His Wife During Christmas By Aimée O’Grady | Photography by PATH Foundation Community Report
ON THE DRIVE HOME the first time Cindy Burbank took Truman Moore to visit his wife Mabel in the nursing home, she noticed that he was wiping away a tear and Cindy knew then that she had found the right organization to devote her volunteer time. Cindy Burbank took her time finding her place in her new community when she moved to Fauquier County in 2011 after her retirement. She had spent 35 years working in the Federal government, commuting in and out of Washington, D.C. Relocating to rural Fauquier County required some adjustment. To become better acquainted with the community, she began to look for volunteer opportunities. “I wanted to find something that was directly helping someone,” she said. One of the organizations that caught her eye was VolTran, one of the Trusted Community Partners offering transportation services to individuals needing rides.
Cindy with Truman
As a volunteer, she began each day reviewing an email from FAMS, Foothills Area Mobility System, that funnels calls to organizations like VolTran, listing people needing rides. “The rides request could be for the next day, or as far out as 45 days,” said Burbank. “The email included necessary information for the driver, but also a few details on the person requesting the ride and their need,” she added. One morning in late summer 2019, as she read the requests, one stood out to her. It was a request from a man asking to visit his wife in a nursing home. It pulled on her heartstrings. “He lived in Markham, and she was in Gainesville; I knew that I would be signing up for a longterm commitment if I offered a ride to this gentleman,” said Cindy, who later called Truman to arrange transportation. Truman was born in Fauquier County in 1942. At nearly 80 years old, he and his wife of thirty years, Mabel, were living in a small log cabin on a farm where he had worked for many years. Having retired, the farm owner permitted Truman and Mabel to remain there for the rest of their lives. Cindy began to drive Truman to see Mabel. “They were so happy when they saw each other, and I began to bring him to the nursing home to visit with her once a week. I would drop him off in the morning and return later in the afternoon to bring him home,” said Cindy. “The couple was completely devoted to each other,” she added. As summer moved into fall and the holidays began to approach, Cindy began to worry about Truman. “I knew that spending Christmas together was very important for Truman and Mabel, but my own two sons, who live out of state, were planning to visit and I wanted to visit with my family as well,” said Cindy, who grew concerned. She turned back to VolTran to find a volunteer who could help. Gary Pinson responded to her request. “He offered to take Truman in the morning, and I was going to bring him back home. It was a relief to know that they would be able to be together on Christmas,” she expressed. With Christmas Day settled, Cindy began to help the couple with gifts for each other. “Mabel pulled me aside during one visit and asked for my help in getting Truman gifts from her, which I was able to do. For Mabel’s gifts, I took Truman to Walmart to pick out some things for her,” she said. It would be their last Christmas together. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and nursing homes locked down, Truman could only speak to Mabel on the phone. He
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DECEMBER 2021
