By MaryHelen Swanson

Doing for others has been her lifeís work.

She has been an integral part of the spiritual growth of young children, worked through the difficulties of unwed pregnancies with teens and young adults and for the past 15 years, she has overseen the activities of seniors at the Rush City dining site.

Margit Hedberg is taking a break now and looking forward to a change.

On Monday, Hedberg, who has been the Senior Dining Site Coordinator in Rush City, finished a chapter in her life.

Hedberg has had some health problems and is ready to focus on herself for once. It will be a change.

In a recent interview, she talked about how life is ever changing.

ìChange is a constant,î she said.

Still, for many years, though the position changed, her work with and for others was as constant as the rising of the sun in the morning.

For many years Hedberg was deeply involved with the Sunday school program at First Lutheran Church. The Hedberg family brought the Sonbeam puppets to life, to the delight of shut-ins and Hillcrest Health Care Center residents as well as to many children in the area.

Hedberg worked at the crisis pregnancy center in Pine City, encouraging and strengthening young women in time of need.

For 10 years, Hedberg was an aide at the elementary school in Rush City.

For 20 years she volunteered at the nursing home and for 13 years she was a home health aide with Chisago County.

And then 15 years at the dining site.

There was a little overlapping, she mused, which is obvious, or sheíd have to be a much older woman.

At the dining site, Hedberg has been responsible for ordering meals each day. She had to call the count down to North Branch where the food is prepared for both the dining site and Meals on Wheels program.

She had to secure drivers for the Meals on Wheels program as well as kitchen workers at the dining site.

And then there was the paperwork.

In addition, Hedberg had to line up the programs and oversee everything that happens at the dining site.

Meals on Wheels has really increased, she said, from the six or so when she started it to an average of 25 a day.

There are also about 25 seniors who come to the dining site each day, too.

Bingo is played twice a week and there are speakers and musical programs all needing to be arranged and coordinated.

Chisago County Public Health offers presentations and the Health Educator from Extension has offered nutrition programs.

The visitors to the site also thoroughly enjoy visits throughout the year from Annette Shellbachís day care children.

Hedberg will miss the folks at the center. ìYou get to be like a family,î she said.

But she said she can come back and visit them and have lunch with them.

Her first priority now is to take care of her health.

And in the future, she might like to get back to working with children. ìThey keep you young and alive.î

Perhaps thereís a place for her in the Foster Grandparentís program, who knows.

With a hint of a glimmer in her eye, she thinks she might like to have something to do with kidís birthday parties.

She remembers the great times when she had wonderful parties for her own children.

But then ... maybe Victorian tea parties ... that sounds kind of nice, too.

And as always, sheís thinking of others.

The new site coordinator will be Kathy Forliti. The senior dining program will be moving to its new location at the new senior apartment building sometime later this year. For more information about the Rush City Senior Dining Site, call (320) 358-3611.