Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bread And Friendship Are The Staffs Of Life

Evelyn Heineck Special To Opinion

I had loads and loads of friends in Spokane when I left here in 1972. But when I came back four years ago only three of them were still here.

When my husband retired after 30 years with Washington Water Power Co. we moved to Salem, Ore. Bill died in 1975 and three years later I went to California to live with my son David.

It was when David left his job at Disneyland that we came home. It’s been good to get back, but Spokane is so much larger now. My, what a change.

Of all the people I knew before I left - I had worked with Camp Fire Girls, I had been in the church, I was president of Women in Water Power - and then to come back here and find no one. I had to make new friends.

So I went up to the Hillyard Senior Citizens Center. There I met friends my age.

They soon knew about my interest in feeding birds - an interest which began one day when our garbage can was knocked over by the dogs.

The birds attacked the food that was scattered on the ground. I realized then that there were some hungry birds out there so I started feeding them.

Every morning, just before or just after breakfast I was giving the birds half a cup of seed and half a loaf of bread. Soon I had over 100 friends.

Supermarkets in the area frequently bring day-old bread to the Hillyard Senior Citizens Center and when there is some left at the end of the day, they let me take it home and give it to the birds. I also keep my eyes open for good buys on bread at the store.

My neighbor across the way also feeds the birds. They land over there and then they come over to my house. There’s just a cloud of them.

When I told the children at church about the birds, they dubbed me the “bird lady.” I’ve been just a little bit proud of that.

I am so grateful for the Hillyard Senior Citizens Center and for my birds and for the children at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

The birds have been my friends. The people at the church are my friends. I’ve made a completely new bunch of friends.

It’s been a very pleasant experience to fill the void.

I feel safe, cared for, and I like being home in Spokane. Thanks, nice people.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.

Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.