For Jack and Joanne Ladish of New Kensington, making the community a better place is not a hollow promise -- it has been a way of life. But part of that will change on Saturday.
With a combination of sadness and fond memories, Joanne will witness the closing of a part of her life on Dec. 4, the day that "New to You," a consignment shop Ladish has run since April 1981, closes its doors for the last time.
"Everybody involved with the shop always enjoyed the work and what we did," Ladish said, looking back on 23 years of operation.
From the street front in Arnold, "New to You" looks like any other business. But for all of its years of operation, the business had a different calling.
The idea for the shop came out of a meeting Joanne and others from the auxiliary attended.
"We were at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Association for Auxiliaries and they had a fashion show," Joanne said. "They had a consignment shop for their auxiliary and the clothes in the show were from the shop."
Joanne said the group from Citizens General became very excited about the prospect and eventually opened "New to You."
"All of the profits from the business went to the auxiliary at Citizens General Hospital," said Joanne. "Even since the hospital closed, we have continued to work with the board of directors to keep the shop running."
But with changing times and conditions, eking out a profit for the hospital and foundation became increasingly difficult.
"We used to have about 23 volunteers, but over the last few years, because of sickness and health problems, that number has dropped to about 14," Joanne said. "And then we have had higher expenses, like a $900 heating bill last winter."
While life may get a little quieter for Joanne, husband Jack will continue to be as busy as ever. The 78-year-old PPG retiree has a full plate of activities and that is the way he likes it.
He was one of the original workers at St. Joseph's Church food bank when it opened more than 20 years ago, and continues to help unload, sort and deliver food to the needy for several hours each week.
His involvement with the church is not limited to the food bank. Many people who happen by the church know him better as the man responsible for doing all of the outside maintenance of the church grounds.
"I do all of the landscaping and things like that,"Jack said. "I enjoy it because I am on my own outside, and it is something that the church would otherwise have to pay to have done."
When he is not busy at the church, Jack also does deliveries for Meals on Wheels, the program that delivers prepared meals to shut-ins. Jack said he has been active with the program for more than 20 years, and likes doing it because it provides a good service that is needed.
The couple met after Jack, a native of Connecticut, moved to the area to accept a job with PPG, and have been married for 54 years.
While raising their children, including two they adopted, the couple was also foster parents to roughly 50 children over 25 years.
"We started with babies that were in the process of being put up for adoption,"Jack said. "The mothers had the opportunity to change their minds, and they would place the babies with us."
Eventually there were older children who came through the program, including a 16-year-old girl who has become part of the family.
"We have a lot of kids who still keep in contact, but Carol is our foster sister," said daughter Amy. "Everyone who came through was treated like gold. You could not ask for better parents."
While the giving and activities may seem a bit overwhelming to some, Jack doesn't give it a second thought.
"I think what we do, everybody should do," Jack said. "Everyone should try to leave things a little better than when you started."
"There is always a need is you just look."
And there is no doubt that Jack and Joanne Ladish have done exactly that.
Additional Information:
Joanne and John Landish
Age: Joanne,76; John, 78Hometown: New Kensington
Family: Kenneth, Mary Jo, Amy, foster daughter Carol
Favorite Thing about the Valley: Favorite thing about the Valley: Joanne said 'Small towns, like what we have here in the Valley, have always been closer knit. I would never want to leave.'
Motto for the Valley: Jack said 'We need to rejuvenate.'
