Wheelie keen to keep busy
John’s volunteering helps elderly
JOHN Schiavi has never been one to put his feet up, so doing nothing in retirement was really not an option.
That’s why for almost 10 years he’s been volunteering at least two days a week with Meals on Wheels Paradise Point, covering Paradise Point, Southport and Helensvale.
“I moved up here from Sydney, and I’m not working any more, so what am I going to do – nothing?” John laughed.
He said making the deliveries was about more than just providing meals – it’s about connecting, a happy greeting, a friendly face and a willingness to listen.
And sometimes, it’s about even more.
John recalls one client, always there to greet the delivery, until one morning the volunteers (there are always two) found the door locked, and no answer to their knocks.
Knowing that a neighbour had a key to the house, they were able to enter and found the client, who had passed out on the floor overnight, and got him medical help.
In other cases, they have rung the office to contact the next of kin, police and ambulance.
“For a lot of people we’re the only personal contact they’ve got,” John said.
That means, while putting the meals in the fridge, volunteers can also check there is enough food, that the person looks well, and often, if it’s someone like John who’s a bit of a handyman, they will pop back to change a lightbulb or fix a leaking tap.
“People are so appreciative; you get so much out of being a volunteer,” he said.
Originally from Piacenza, in northern Italy, John has been in Australia since 1952, arriving as a teenager with his family, who had been share farmers.
They lived too far from the nearest school, and John was needed on the farm anyway, so it wasn’t until he got to Australia that he taught himself to read and write – by studying a dictionary.
It was just one of many hurdles to be overcome in Australia, after his father’s hand was crushed on the job within days of arrival and his mother died soon after of stomach cancer.
His father decided to return to Italy with John’s brother and sister, but John decided he had found his new home in Australia.
So, at 17 he was on his own – telling people he was 18 so he could earn enough to live, and working double-time whenever possible.
He became a bit of an expert over the years in fruit and vegetables, and decided it was time for his own shop.
It was rundown, and a good buy, and before long John had built it up, was able to sell at a profit and move on to the next shop … and the next.
“I was very good at it,” he said with a twinkle. “But it wasn’t easy – getting up at 2 or 3 in the morning to go to the markets, and finishing at 6 or 7 at night.”
As a result, John eventually moved into a business providing table and bed linen to the hospitality industry, where he stayed for almost 20 years before retiring.
These days, when he’s not doing Meals on Wheels, he’s challenging himself with learning how to use a computer through Seniors on the Net (one-on-one tutoring specifically for over-50s), and taking part in Probus events with wife Heather.
After all, he reckons, you should never stop learning and enjoying life.