Hundreds of
Southfield senior
citizens are
going on
monthly outings
with the
National Council
of Jewish
Women

Bessie Ehrlichman, left, and friends enjoy Phyllis Bratt's performance.

SUSAN WELCH

Special to The Jewish News

VIII hen the Greater De-
troit Section of the Na-
tional Council of
Jewish Women decided
to expand its existing
services to Oakland County senior
citizens, it focused on two of the el-
derly's most difficult problems —
lack of transportation and loneli-
ness on Sundays. The result is Up
and Out, which provides seniors
with monthly organized entertain-
ment and the transportation to get
to it.
It does much more than that,
says Southfield senior Bessie
Ehrlichman, who has been to every
function since the program started
in September 1985. "It makes you
feel special ... They make us feel
like family."
For many seniors, the Sunday

outings are the highlight of each committee is considering adding
month. "It's the greatest thing in summer activities. For most events,
the world. It finally got my dad out seniors are collected by bus from
of his apartment. I hadn't managed five pick up points in Southfield:
to get him anywhere in years," Highland Towers, Lincoln Towers,
says Aida Cutler, whose father was Knob in the Woods, Charter House
initially reluctant to join but now and Woodridge Apartments. In the
coldest months, Up and Out takes
signs up for every event.
Twenty seniors went on the entertainment to the various
program's first trip to see the fall apartment complexes instead. This
colors in Kensington Metro Park. winter seniors have had the oppor-
Within a year there were 1,000 tunity to learn to square dance,
seniors on the mailing list for and to join a Chanukah party "so
events such as a Toledo river wonderful," says Mrs. Ehrlichman,
cruise, a tour of old Detroit, a visit "I shall never forget it as long as I
to the Attic Theater and a picnic on live."
Belle Isle. The picnic was one of
"We try to make the program
the most successful outings, says
Up and Out chairwoman Barbara as varied and interesting as pos-
Stone, evoking many happy sible," says Stone, whose enthusias-
tic commitment and thoughtful-
memories.
Outings are scheduled once a ness, says co-chairwoman Sally
month between September and Green, have set the keynote for the
June. This year, however, in re- program and been largely responsi-
sponse to numerous requests, the ble for its success.

Projects are chosen with care
and attention to details important
to the elderly — not too much
walking and plenty of bathroom
stops, for example. Volunteers
make sure that water is available
to take with medications, provide
help with boarding buses and use a
buddy system and name tags to
make sure that no one gets lost in
crowded places. Something to eat
and drink is served on every trip.
It is the little extra touches,
the unexpected gifts, the individual
attention, the warm affection of the
volunteers and their refusal to offer
anything second rate, says Bessie
Ehrlichman, that make Up and
Out special. "They do everything
with such class," she says.
Currently, there are 28 volun-
teers with Up and Out. At least 15
are needed for most functions, and
the group is recruiting more. Yet,

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