Pizza Delivery Makes Valentine’s Day Sweet For Waukesha Residents

WAUKESHA, WI—Residents at La Casa de Esperanza's Village Apartments in Waukesha started Valentine's Day celebrations early.

Residents received free Palermo’s pizza on Friday as part of a Valentine’s Day meal kit put together by the local pizza retailer.

The kits contained a free pizza, a bagged microwaveable meal and a Valentine’s Day note written by United Way volunteers and Palermo’s employees.

Palermo's Pizza was looking for a way to celebrate National Pizza Day, which took place on Tuesday. The business partnered with community groups such as La Casa de Esperanza, with help from the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, to donate meals to the village's residents, who are older than 65.

"We recognize seniors might be a little forgotten about or don't get as much attention with the lack of visitations," said Ryan Busse, marketing coordinator at Palermo's Pizza. Busse said the objective was to give back to the community and touch base with people.

"We wanted to send a Valentine's Day note to say, 'We are thinking of you guys, and thank you for all you have done,'" Busse added.

Cindy Retzack, who manages the apartments, said in March that the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. Residents used to enjoy meals and activities such as bingo and other events. "We haven't had a single activity in four months," Retzack said.

Retzack said residents — one of whom is 100 years old — worry that an asymptomatic visitor might bring COVID-19 into the complex. "This is what scares us the most," she said.

Jennifer Pfister, a longtime resident of the Village Apartments, was decked out in red Friday. "Even little things mean a lot," Pfister told Patch. The former teacher described the shutdown as "a tragic loss for everyone."

Pfister said it is difficult to be stuck in a one-bedroom apartment all the time. "It makes you so grateful for the social interaction," she said.

Pfister spoke highly about Retzack and said she makes everyone feel cared for during the pandemic.

Yolanda Stephenson was thrilled with the meal gifts and the interaction Friday. Her sons used to visit frequently before the coronavirus hit. They reassured her they were staying away because they didn't want to get her sick.

Stephenson was grateful for her friends who live in the apartments and the opportunity to joke around. "When we heard about this [pizza], we went wild. We don't get a ton of visitors here," she said.

Stephenson is hoping for a big celebration once the pandemic is over.

Older people have had to endure a lot because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to live alone, have lost family members or friends or have chronic illness or hearing loss. The pandemic has exacerbated many of these issues.

“During this time more than ever, we are trying to show our seniors that they are not alone," said Maria del Pilar Wadina, vice president of community engagement for La Casa de Esperanza. "With the help of organizations like Palermo’s Pizza, United Way and other individuals that want to make a difference, we have been able to show them how much we and the community cares about them.”

Members of the public can get involved helping older people or volunteering virtually or via socially distanced opportunities by visiting the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County’s website.