89-Year-Old Honored for 40 Years Housing Those in Need

Madeleine, an 89-year-old from Belgium, received a BeHeroes award for dedicating forty years to assisting people facing housing difficulties. In the mid-1980s, while working as a nurse, she noticed an increasing number of low-income families struggling to find adequate housing. She co-founded a non-profit organization to address this issue, starting with a small ground-floor space and a handful of social workers.

The organization has since grown to include 33 housing units, 21 of which it owns. It provides affordable temporary housing to help people regain stability. Madeleine remains humble about her work, emphasizing the satisfaction of seeing former residents become homeowners.

Bernadette Michel, the current president of the non-profit, nominated Madeleine, highlighting her consistent presence and dedication to the organization’s mission. Madeleine will attend the national parade on July 21st, an event she previously only watched on television.