My grandmother on my mom's side, known as my "baubi" (meaning Jewish grandmother, pronounced "buh-bee") is being honored by the Culver City Council for being 2008's Senior of the Year. On Thursday, she will be honored by the City and County of Los Angeles.



Henrietta Berman has been making dolls for kids for years, and has donated so much time to important causes. It's really wonderful to see her get recognition for it. From the Culver City Newsletter:

The Culver City Senior Center Board of Directors is pleased to honor Henrietta Berman "Senior of the Year" for 2008.
 
Volunteering to help others has been a way of life for Henrietta.  She learned the spirit of volunteerism from her mother
and father and has an incredible record to show how well her parents imparted their values to her.  When Henrietta
retired in 1978, she immediately started volunteering at the Culver City Senior Center and now has nearly 20,000 
Lifetime Hours !  For 30 years, Henrietta has been active in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and still comes
every Wednesday to help with the Work Project.  She also crochets clowns and little kittens for the children in the
Orthopedic Hospital, a charitable institution devoted to the care of crippled children.  Henrietta  estimates that she has
donated  well over 5,000, a project that she knows has made many, many children happy over the last 30 years.

Henrietta and Leon, her beloved husband of 68 years, moved to California from Boston during the Depression with
“a suitcase and fifty dollars.”  They raised four wonderful children, who all have advanced degrees.  Henrietta and Leon
worked as a team on all their charity work, They were very involved in the schools during their children’s upbringing and
were awarded an honorary life membership to the PTA.  In addition to the 30 years of volunteer activities and the
dancing exhibitions that Henrietta and Leon put on for the Friday Club at the Senior Center,  they gave dance lessons to
raise funds for their temple.  Henrietta was Chairperson of Fundraising for the United Jewish Welfare for 25 years, and
received their highest honor, “The Welfie,” many times.  She also worked for many other non-profit organizations,
including the United Way, American Cancer Society and the Red Cross.  For 26 years, Henrietta also volunteered at
Meals on Wheels. What a wonderful example of the true spirit of volunteerism!   Congratulations to Henrietta for
receiving the well-deserved honor of “Senior of the Year” for 2008.  Henrietta will be honored at the May 12 meeting of the
City Council and at the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging’s 43rd Annual Older Americans Recognition Awards
Program on May 29, 2008.  She will  also be honored at the “Older Americans” Party at the Senior Center on May 23.

I grew up with those crocheted clowns and kittens. Very cool. She's left us a legacy of volunteerism that is really inspiring, and my mom has become a doll-maker as well.