At 97 years old, Edgewater at Boca Pointe resident Art Polacheck exemplifies that giving back and living with purpose has no age limit.
Every week, Art volunteers at Boca Helping Hands. You’ll find him bagging groceries and serving food for the local nonprofit dedicated to supporting families in need. This Thanksgiving season, he is joining the charity’s annual Thanksgiving Box Brigade and its ambitious endeavor to deliver 4,000 turkey dinners —complete with all the traditional holiday fixings— to feed 24,000 people in the area.
For Art, volunteering isn’t just a weekly routine—it’s a calling. “It comes from the heart,” Art said. “I look for purpose in life, and when I leave Boca Helping Hands, I have such a warm feeling that I've done something purposeful to society.”
A classic car enthusiast, Art also hosts car shows with the Rotary Club to benefit Boca Helping Hands. He’s volunteered for the organization for more than 16 years.
“Being 97 years of age, I’m somewhat limited in what I can do but I’ll continue as long as God allows me to do so,” he said.
A Life of Helping Others
Art is a World War II veteran who served as a radio operator in the Army Signal Corps during the war, notably in Okinawa, Japan. His fluency in Morse code kept him off the front lines. Now retired and living at Edgewater at Boca Pointe, in Boca Raton, he is still serving his community. Art continues to inspire those around him with this determination to always show up, even in small ways, and encourages others to discover their own ways to give back.
“There's a wide variety of things you can do. My wife, who was an English teacher, volunteered to help immigrants learn English. My advice is to find what you're competent in to help those who need it.”
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Staying Positive—and “Keep Moving”
Art moved into Edgewater at Boca Pointe about five years ago with his wife who has since passed away. He still lives independently and goes to the campus gym nearly every day.
“You’ll see him every morning heading to the gym to work out,” said Ellen Lewkowicz, Life Engagement Coordinator at Edgewater at Boca Pointe. “He goes out to the community every day and orders his own Uber to pick him up.”
“I try to be independent,” Art said, “Even so, there are times when help from Edgewater is necessary and it’s reassuring that they're there for me. It gives me peace of mind, knowing I’m living in the right place.”
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Art credits his positive mindset and ability to “keep moving” as keys to his longevity.
“If you're negative because you can't work as fast as you used to, you lose sight of what you can do,” he said. “Sometimes you need to turn off others negativity around you. Be as positive as you can even when times are tough. Try to look at the bright side of what could happen.”
