Longtime resident and local personality, Gloria celebrated her 90th birthday earlier this month with a high tea, surrounded by friends and family at the Aruma Community Hub Lake Illawarra.
Not only did Gloria celebrate a milestone birthday, but she’s also Aruma’s longest serving participant and resident, having lived in an Aruma (formerly House With No Steps) Supported Independent Living (SIL) home for more than 30 years. She’s also a regular at the Aruma Community Hub where you’ll find her knitting and socialising five days a week.
Well known and loved within the community, Gloria is a regular at ‘Knit and Knatter’ at the Wollongong City Library where she’s been busily knitting squares that are turned into blankets for animals at local vets.
Aruma Support Worker, Sarah Albert has worked with Gloria for more than two decades and describes her as a character with a heart of gold.
“Gloria’s a beautiful person, very funny, friendly, determined, caring and affectionate to those fortunate to call her a friend.
“Gloria’s been counting down the days until her party. She’s a big fan of all celebrations, but her birthday is the most important day of the year, so we are thrilled to be able to throw her a birthday party to celebrate such a special occasion.”
A big thank you to the local team who truly went above and beyond to make sure that Gloria had a memorable day, which would not have been complete without cakes and sandwiches and the paparazzi on site to snap a picture of the birthday girl for the local paper. You can read the article here.
Want to find out more?
Want to find your own place at the Hub, like Gloria?
Learn more about Club Aruma Lake Illawarra.
