Town rallies to make 102-year-old woman's beautiful birthday wish come true

Birthdays often celebrate life with gifts, but some choose to make their special day unforgettable by giving back. Trudy Handleman did just that on her 102nd birthday, with the support of a generous community. In a beautiful gesture of kindness, she requested 102 cans of food to donate to families in need, per KWQC News. Residing at Quartet Senior Living Home in Iowa, Trudy's selfless wish was met with an overwhelming response, showcasing the profound impact of communal generosity. 

Going over the 102 mark, she has managed to receive over 400 canned items to donate. “We’ve gotten such a wonderful response. It’s been just great,” Handleman said. The staff of the home, together with Handleman, dropped off the collection at the Friendly House Food Pantry, Davenport. The pantry serves children and families with meals, hygiene and other requirements and being a charity, help is always welcome and Handleman’s generosity came as a blessing. “I want to be part of that final step when we put the things where they’ll be used,” she said. The executive of the pantry, Terry Hendershott, revealed that the donation couldn’t have come at a better time.

“We serve mostly our neighborhood, but ironically, we were just in the pantry looking to a food order and kind of see what we need to do, and in the food order, a donation came in, so it was very nice,” Hendershott said, per My Modern Met. The staff at the pantry house mentioned that they feed between 60 and 100 families a month. Thanks to Handleman’s donation, with the help of her community, they could feed at least 25 to 30 families. Handleman was extremely grateful for her wish having come true and how! The kind response from her community has proved that it doesn’t take a lot to make a huge difference.

“No matter how large or how small the project, if you put your heart into it and you care, you get so many followers, friends, and those are long away and they all want to join you,” the 102-year-old said. Hunger and affording even basic meals is problematic for many and Handleman mentioned that the case was no different for many she knew. She added that the act made her birthday all the more special. Celebrating it with a twist of giving instead of receiving has been a pleasure.

“It’s more fun to give than to receive. That’s an old clich, and that sounds a little corny, but you know it’s true,” she said. The woman also highlighted how kindness and generosity help not just the receiver but the giver as well. “It’s true and the older you get, the more you do, the more you appreciate it yourself, as well as the people to whom you give this food,” she remarked.