Client Spotlight: Natalie

The thing that has meant the most to me about God’s Love is that I have always been consulted and respected. I grew up in what is now known as the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, the child of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants. The only hobby or interest I remember is that I loved to read. I graduated from Girls Commercial High School, and in those days you could not graduate unless you could swim the length of the swimming pool and back.

As a child I was very very shy. I was the youngest and always remember hiding behind my mother’s skirt. I had had four siblings, and we got along very well. They would make a big fuss over me but also treated me like an equal. As teenagers my brothers would go on trips to Chicago to sell clothes. Wherever they went, they would always come back with a present for me.

My friends all lived on my block. We would play games on the street and sidewalk, but what I remember best is that we would tell each other ghost stories and try to scare each other, but I never got scared. Beginning when I was ten, I traveled everywhere alone. The subway was five cents, and I loved going places.

I earned money beginning when I was seven years old. My mother had a dressmaker who lived in Jersey City. She took me on as a “go-pher,” and from her I learned about dressmaking and business. I learned about different threads and materials, which naturally led me into the fashion industry. My last job was with Koret, who made the most elegant and desirable handbags. When Michael Kors delivered to me on my birthday, we discussed Koret. I think he said that his mother had Koret handbags, and Michael was surprised that I actually remembered the Manhattan address of Koret’s offices. Mr. Koret wanted to marry me, but I turned him down.

I married in 1945 and moved to Newark, where my husband practiced law. I commuted to New York City right through my pregnancy with my son, Jack. I stopped working when he was born a year after I married.

Before God’s Love, I cooked, but I couldn’t always get fresh ingredients, and it wasn’t always easy for me to shop, so I got by, but I didn’t eat very well. I would get lunch when I could at a senior citizen’s center at Sheridan Square or on Washington Square North.

I am 99 years old and several years ago I was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Everything became harder, and I became weaker and I couldn’t shop or cook for myself. I don’t remember how I found out about God’s Love, but I do remember how astonished I was at how good the food was and how wonderful the people were. The meals were always a real treat, and there were new dishes, including vegetables that I had never even heard of.

I have always had good experiences talking to God’s Love dietitians. They have always been interested in my likes and dislikes, and I have learned a lot from them about nutrition.

The most surprising thing to me about God’s Love is all the love I have received, just for being me. God’s Love is the perfect name for what you do. You always make me feel important and truly cared for. In my entire life I was never social or much of a joiner, but I feel so good to be part of God’s Love. You have changed my life, and I hope to live to 100 and beyond just to have more of you.

Thank you so much.