Addison Township resident Carl Campanella was a proud man.
So proud, the 58 year-old Vietnam veteran refused to ask for anyone’s help until two months before his death in January.
The Addison Township resident was nearly blind, unable to walk without assistance, unable to work and literally starving. Certian he would not survive the winter without heat, water, or food, Mr. Campanella finally sought help from the Addison Township Senior Center.
‘The help was immediate,? said senior center volunteer Cheryl Collins, who noted that after reading about Carl’s plight in The Oxford Leader, people brought food, money, gift cards, clothes and general assistance to a man who had fallen through the cracks.
Collins and Alayne Williams, director of the senior center, were both instrumental in helping Carl. As they now plan his memorial, the two discovered there are a great number of people to thank for helping Carl in the final months of his life.
Before getting help from the community, Campanella was trying to live off of $103 a month with no assistance from Social Security, no medical attention and no benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA).
‘He was barely getting by, eating garbage for food,? Collins said. ‘He was just too proud to ask for help.?
Soon volunteers like Addison Township resident Bill Devine stepped in, helping Carl get administrative and financial help from the VA.
Devine also contacted the U.S. State Department for assistance in locating Chris Campanella, who serves in the U.S. Navy and is one of Carl’s sons. Father and son hadn’t seen each other for more than 20 years.
‘Mr. Devine came out on a weekly basis to visit Carl and give him any assistance he needed,? said Collins, adding she was able to locate his other son who lived in Nebraska.
Volunteers from the community organized food drives, work crews to clean Carl’s home, Oxford/Orion FISH opened their pantry doors, and more than 70 people donated cash to pay Carl’s utility bills until his veteran benefits started.
Neighbor Dave Wilson obtained gravel to fix Carl’s driveway and Al Yates, who is a member of American Legion Post 108, coordinated the building of a ramp at Carl’s home, which wasn’t completed before his death.
‘We got the same story all the time ? people felt much more satisfied to donate and help someone that lived in their own town,? said Collins.
In November, just before Thanksgiving, Carl was hospitalized after collapsing in his home. While being treated at a VA hospital, doctors found Carl was not suffering from Multiple Sclerosis as originally believed, but was instead riddled with cancer.
Because he had no health insurance, Carl had not sought medical care for years. Instead, he merely coped with his degenerating and debilitating health.
Although he never returned to Addison, Carl did receive many visitors at the hospital. He was reunited with his sons and introduced to his two-year-old grandson.
Williams and Collins said Carl felt an overwhelming sense of community during the last two months of his life. ‘He considered us all family,? Williams said. ‘He never knew there was anyone that cared.?
Because there are too many people to thank for helping Carl, Williams and Collins organized a memorial service for all those who took the time to help Carl, who took the time to care about a forgotten veteran.
The service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 16 at the Addison Senior Citizen Center (1440 Rochester Road) in Lakeville.