She Begins to Apologize...
Alice Lipton opens the back door of her Clinton, Md., home slowly. She walks slowly. She talks slowly.
She begins to apologize.
"My husband is sick and in bed," she says. "He's half-blind. We had to give up the car because he couldn't drive any more. If relatives don't come to help us, I'm lost."
But thanks to Top Banana, she's found--every Wednesday morning.
A truck owned by this Prince George's County-based non-profit brings four sacks of groceries right to her door once a week. The delivery costs the Liptons $15 plus the cost of the groceries.
As Top Banana driver William Pickeral loaded her order into her refrigerator and pantry on Wednesday morning, Alice Lipton smiled and said:
"Top Banana is a lifeline."
Top Banana serves about 500 clients a year. They live in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Most--but not all--are elderly. Some are disabled.
But all would be in serious danger of health or nutrition problems if Top Banana did not arrive, right on time, with its stuffed brown bags.
Top Banana was founded in 1982 by the woman who still serves as executive director, Jean Guiffre. Her mother sparked the idea.
"It was 1979, and I had the shock of my life," Jean recalled.
"She was living in Hyattsville, by herself. I'd been out of town on business and I went to visit her. I asked for some coffee. "She said, 'Jeannie, I don't think I have any coffee.'
"So I looked in the pantry. She literally didn't have enough of anything to last the day."
The reason: "Severe arthritis and congestive heart failure. She couldn't get to the grocery," Jean Guiffre said.
"So I woke up one morning and said to my husband, 'Ben, somebody's got to do this.' " Guiffre borrowed $2,000 from her mother and Top Banana was born. Twenty-eight years later, the agency has an annual budget of about $750,000, 16 employees and eight regular volunteers.
Top Banana is headquartered in a former post office in the Southern Prince George's town of Brandywine. Clients call in their orders, and staff members fill them from shelves and coolers.
"This is not necessarily about being poor," Jean Guiffre said. "It's about people who fall between the cracks."
One such person was Acie Brown, of Temple Hills, who was William Pickeral's third stop of the day on Wednesday.
Brown has been disabled for two years. But he hadn't heard of Top Banana until he moved into a senior citizens high-rise last month. He lives there alone.
"Since I'm disabled, it fit right into what I need," Brown said, as Pickeral offloaded his order of grape jelly, bologna, sausage, eggs, black-eyed peas and condiments. "If I had known about it sooner, I would have signed up sooner. I think it's great."
United Way of the National Capital Area is a major funder of Top Banana, and has been for several years. Jean Guiffre says that without the community's support, she would have closed the doors long ago.
"This is needed in every low- and moderate-income community in America," she said. "After 28 years, we're just beginning."
She begins to apologize.
"My husband is sick and in bed," she says. "He's half-blind. We had to give up the car because he couldn't drive any more. If relatives don't come to help us, I'm lost."
But thanks to Top Banana, she's found--every Wednesday morning.
A truck owned by this Prince George's County-based non-profit brings four sacks of groceries right to her door once a week. The delivery costs the Liptons $15 plus the cost of the groceries.
As Top Banana driver William Pickeral loaded her order into her refrigerator and pantry on Wednesday morning, Alice Lipton smiled and said:
"Top Banana is a lifeline."
Top Banana serves about 500 clients a year. They live in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Most--but not all--are elderly. Some are disabled.
But all would be in serious danger of health or nutrition problems if Top Banana did not arrive, right on time, with its stuffed brown bags.
Top Banana was founded in 1982 by the woman who still serves as executive director, Jean Guiffre. Her mother sparked the idea.
"It was 1979, and I had the shock of my life," Jean recalled.
"She was living in Hyattsville, by herself. I'd been out of town on business and I went to visit her. I asked for some coffee. "She said, 'Jeannie, I don't think I have any coffee.'
"So I looked in the pantry. She literally didn't have enough of anything to last the day."
The reason: "Severe arthritis and congestive heart failure. She couldn't get to the grocery," Jean Guiffre said.
"So I woke up one morning and said to my husband, 'Ben, somebody's got to do this.' " Guiffre borrowed $2,000 from her mother and Top Banana was born. Twenty-eight years later, the agency has an annual budget of about $750,000, 16 employees and eight regular volunteers.
Top Banana is headquartered in a former post office in the Southern Prince George's town of Brandywine. Clients call in their orders, and staff members fill them from shelves and coolers.
"This is not necessarily about being poor," Jean Guiffre said. "It's about people who fall between the cracks."
One such person was Acie Brown, of Temple Hills, who was William Pickeral's third stop of the day on Wednesday.
Brown has been disabled for two years. But he hadn't heard of Top Banana until he moved into a senior citizens high-rise last month. He lives there alone.
"Since I'm disabled, it fit right into what I need," Brown said, as Pickeral offloaded his order of grape jelly, bologna, sausage, eggs, black-eyed peas and condiments. "If I had known about it sooner, I would have signed up sooner. I think it's great."
United Way of the National Capital Area is a major funder of Top Banana, and has been for several years. Jean Guiffre says that without the community's support, she would have closed the doors long ago.
"This is needed in every low- and moderate-income community in America," she said. "After 28 years, we're just beginning."
posted by Bob Levey's United Way at
12:28 PM
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