David Viscott wrote, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Deanna Wolk, a Lynn native and former Peabody resident found her gift while volunteering at Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife’s Center for Memory Health, teaching mahjong to residents and working in the gift shop.
Together, she and her husband of 58 years, Sidney, found their collective purpose, giving away $5 million to help support patients and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other memory care issues at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Center for Memory Heath in Roslindale.
In recognition of the couple’s generosity, the center has been renamed the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health.
“From my volunteer work at Hebrew SeniorLife, I have seen firsthand the expert care that the organization delivers,” said Deanna. “With this gift, we are happy to support that level of excellence, helping people with memory care issues and access to the right experts, supports, tools, and services to help them live their best lives possible.”
“When we learned of the increasing need for community-based services in brain disorders and cognition, for both patients as well as their caregivers, we knew that our gift towards memory care services would definitely fill a void here in this area,” Sidney said.
Deanna was born in Lynn at the former Union Hospital and grew up in Peabody. After graduating from Fisher Junior College, she worked at Raytheon, where she met her “Prince Charming” — Sidney. They married and had three children and are now the proud grandparents of eight.
Sidney, a Dorchester native and graduate of Boston Latin School, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at Boston University.
His first business venture was a retail mattress furniture store located on Market Street in Lynn. The business was successful, providing the foundation for a 48-year career in the insurance industry. In 1972, he founded Cross Country Group, a leading provider of private-label direct marketing and customer service programs.
“I came from very poor parents and all I wanted to do was be successful,” said Sidney. “I wanted a nice wife, kids, a home, and I got all that. My company is one of the largest of its kind in North America and my fire still burns. I consider (myself as) having been very lucky as opposed to smart. The key is getting smart people and properly motivating them. A big part of my DNA is to always give back. Giving back is my greatest source of satisfaction. That is what prompted us to make this donation.”
Hebrew SeniorLife is one of many charities and causes supported by the Sidney and Deanna Wolk Charitable Foundation, founded in 2015. Past gift recipients include the Boston Latin School, Greater Boston Food Bank, The Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, Temple Emunah, Boston Medical Center and agencies that support the blind.
Deanna said the Roslindale center doesn’t just focus on those with Alzheimer’s — it offers support services to their caregivers and families.
“That’s why we think the work the center does is so important as caregivers often hide the memory loss,” Deanna said. “They don’t always admit there is a problem. So, some of the work being done at the center will be education to help families and caregivers know that there is help for them.
“We can give them the support they need. The good Lord has been very good to us, and this is our way of sharing what (we) are fortunate to have, with an organization that is making such a difference in the lives of people with Alzheimer’s.”
The Wolks believe that people have great power to help their brains stay healthy.
“There are ways to make our brains even stronger every day,” said Deanna. “You have to stay active. It’s more than just reading — it’s about stimulating and challenging yourself.”
“We are grateful to Deanna and Sidney Wolk, who have been leaders in giving to Hebrew SeniorLife for many years,” said Hebrew SeniorLife President and Chief Executive Officer Louis J. Woolf.
“They have stepped up in a time like no other, in an area, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, that is expected to triple in size in the coming years. The Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health is becoming a vital go-to memory care resource for the community.”
According to Hebrew SeniorLife, five million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, with millions more directly impacted by the effects, either as family members or caregivers.
The disease has touched the Wolk family. Sidney said his brother’s wife has Alzheimer’s and he has watched both of them struggle to cope.
“Deanna and I have seen it firsthand and it is tragic,” said Sidney. “It’s so hard. It’s absolutely tragic what families go through. That’s why we are so excited about where this gift can lead to, with such a fantastic team behind us.”
