[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    THE EXAMPLE OF MELVIN VAN DENEND

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                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 1994

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of this 
body to a man whose life should serve as an example to all of us.
  Mr. Melvin Van Denend passed away last year, but his work lives on in 
my community, the western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago. Walking 
into a nursing home several years ago, Mel was struck by the number of 
wheelchair-bound patients who had no way of venturing outside the 
nursing home. Inspired, he and his wife simply started taking nursing 
home residents, one at a time, on excursions to local points of 
interest. Over the past 7 years, his program, ``Life on Wheels,'' has 
grown dramatically. It now has over 40 volunteers and brings joy to 
over 1,000 nursing home residents each year.
  Mel passed away last December after a long battle with emphysema. I 
hope his life is inspiration to everyone.
  I am also submitting an article from the Chicago Tribune about Mel's 
life and work.

                Man's Vision To Free Disabled Carries On

                           (By Sonya C. Vann)

       Visiting a nursing home, Melvin Van Denend was struck by 
     the number of patients in wheelchairs who had no visitors and 
     no means by which to venture outside the institution, his 
     wife said.
       He had the idea of using a van to get patients in 
     wheelchairs out of their often monotonous routines. From 
     that, the Lombard man and his wife built a not-for-profit 
     agency that began with only two volunteers and now boasts 
     more than 40.
       Before his death Dec. 13 at age 65, the founder of Life on 
     Wheels Inc. had given the mantle of director over to Victor 
     Glavach of Wheaton, a writer and organizational consultant 
     with 29 years' experience in the non-profit sector.
       In the job since October, Glavach said, ``Life on Wheels is 
     small, and very efficiently run by volunteers. I simply give 
     overall management direction and work on fundraising.
       ``We don't foresee any kind of decline in the operation 
     because Mel and the board anticipated his death, and we're 
     planning on continuing the whole thing,'' Glavach said.
       Van Denend was battling emphysema and had to give up his 
     small decorating business, but was on the mend when he bought 
     a small van for $20,000 in which two people in wheelchairs 
     could ride along with two volunteers.
       ``I could never sit around a lot, and I felt God had given 
     me a second chance to do something good, so I came up with 
     this idea for Life on Wheels and bought a van in '87,'' he 
     told the Tribune in 1990.
       Van Denend secured help in 1988 from the Mid-America 
     Leadership Foundation of Chicago, which reimbursed him for 
     the van.
       ``It took us three months to be able to get insurance 
     because we had no background in working with the 
     handicapped,'' Alvina Van Denend said.
       Today, the group has two vans and two buses and serves 
     convalescent centers in Du Page and the northwest suburbs, 
     with plans to expand to Palos Heights, to other southern 
     suburbs and to parts of Chicago.
       Life on Wheels takes nursing home residents who are welfare 
     recipients and have little or no family or friends out for 
     daytime excursions to Chicago area attractions such as the 
     Morton Arboretum or Shedd Aquarium and then out to a 
     restaurant for a free lunch.
       Mostly staffed by retirees, the group rotates among 
     different nursing homes, spending one week at each.
       ``The big highlight is their lunchtime, where they can 
     choose anything they want to eat,'' Alvina Van Denend said. 
     ``They have a choice--as much as they want and desserts.''
       Life on Wheels' budget for 1993 was $42,000 and will be 
     $57,000 in 1994, the lion's share going toward operating and 
     insuring the vehicles, Glavach said.
       ``What really amazes me is how dedicated the volunteers are 
     and how smoothly the whole thing runs,'' Glavach said.

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