Recently Widowed Navy Veterans Wife Still Needs A New Roof

One of my core memories as a child was at a Christmas Party at the Eagles here in Manistee, Michigan. My Grandfather, who I shall refer to as Grumpa from here forward offered me a dollar to go tell a random woman that she was beautiful, and to not tell her he sent me on that mission. My Grumpa has always been a character. Funny, full of love, empathetic and quick to spread those traits with other people. His name is Charles Oleniczak, and if you live here in Manistee, you likely know him and my Grandmother Jeanne Oleniczak.

We were never a wealthy family; however, my grandparents have spent the grand majority of their lives helping other people in any way that they could.

Just to name a few things...

Grumpa is a Navy Veteran who served as a Navy Reservist in 1956 and then served active duty from 1957 to 1959 and again returned to reserve status until 1995.

Some of the organizations he has volunteered for include Muscular Dystrophy Association, March of Dimes, Chippewa Athletic Club, and MCC Sports. He has also actively volunteered in our immediate community and was one of the great volunteers who built Lighthouse Park and the Park at Trinity Lutheran School here in Manistee. He assisted in getting the Guardian Angels School up to code, several years ago. As well as actively volunteered his time to basketball and slow pitch teams in Manistee.

He has also volunteered at many of the churches in Manistee and participated in blessings in a backpack for many years. All these things he did for those people he didn't know. I can personally tell you as his granddaughter that I have seen him give the literal shirt off his back for his family and friends.

My Grandmother is no stranger to volunteering either, she has spent many of her years doing much of the same. She also has volunteered at our local churches from being a nanny to participating in blessings in a backpack. Just like my Grandfather she has volunteered many years to organizations collecting money for Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the March of Dimes. Seven years with each of these organizations! She also picked up a hammer to help build our local parks.

There is probably a reason that I hear people call my Grumpa Father Chuck. I'm not sure, but in my perspective, he may just be a Saint. Although, I am his Granddaughter, so maybe I am just a bit biased here.

Unfortunately, times have changed. My Grumpa is dying and is suffering from many ailments. He is now 85 years old. He has had Chronic Systolic Heart Failure Grade 2 for several years and it is advancing, and quickly. He also has coronary artery disease, ischemic cardiomyopathy, peripheral vascular disease, occlusion and stenosis of bilateral carotid arteries, Prostate cancer stage 2 with reoccurrence, Asbestosis (Likely from the Navy Ships), pneumoconiosis due to asbestosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

My Grandmother is his full-time caretaker, and it has been heart wrenching to watch their struggle, both financially and personally. My Grandmother is a breast Cancer survivor herself and suffers from her own health issues. In the last few years, I have been witness to my Grumpas decline both physically as well as mentally and emotionally. I remember him teaching me to ride my first bike, drive my first car and now he struggles to remember that his shirt is the article of clothing that goes over his head and not his legs. I remember playing basketball with him in the driveway, and now he struggles to walk up the stairs without his oxygen and taking a nitro for his heart.

I can't change time and I can't stop the ugly reality of what will eventually happen, but what I can do is share their story and ask for relief for them so they can focus more on spending time together with less worry and stress. You see they are already hurting so bad financially. They have so many expenses, I have sat down with them and anything that wasn't necessary was eliminated but even yet at the end of the month they have around $90 dollars left and will not qualify for any more loans. They are behind on several utilities and medical bills and now they need a new roof, theirs is leaking and starting to cause additional damage to their house.

So, I am asking everyone that reads this, if my grandparents have touched your life in some way to please help with the cost of replacing their roof.

If you could please donate $25 on the 22nd (their anniversary day in December), we could reach our goal very soon! However, any date and amount are welcome and very helpful. If there are any additional monies left from the roof, I would like them to be able to use that money to eliminate some urgent debt or help with their current cost of living.

If you can't donate, please share and advocate for them. We appreciate any help they may get.