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Volunteering brings happiness -- to the volunteers

By Pat Farmer and pafarmer@baltsun.com, The Baltimore Sun on

Published in Senior Living Features

Previous Senior Circles columns about volunteering have been from the standpoint of nonprofit organizations looking for volunteers. This time, the column is primarily from the vantage point of the volunteer.

I hope this column prompts you to volunteer in 2015, if you haven't already. Based on those I interviewed for this column, volunteering does make a difference in the lives of others, but especially in the lives of the volunteers.

Fish of Laurel Inc. manages Elizabeth House, where, every day of the year, volunteers feed about 45 homeless and working poor clients from the Laurel area. If you are interested in donating food, money or volunteering, email webmaster@fishoflaurel.org.

Liz Hobbins, of Laurel, has volunteered at Elizabeth House for five years. She works every second Tuesday of the month as the team coordinator for the opening team. Liz and her team prepare the evening meal. They know what to prepare and how much to prepare based on input from the kitchen coordinator and the number of clients who have signed up. Depending on what casseroles have been defrosted, they may prepare canned vegetables. Her team also donates salad fixings to add to the evening's menu and prepares lunches for clients to take for the next day. The closing team comes in and serves the meal and cleans up afterward.

Liz's interest in working at Elizabeth House grew out of her volunteer service as food coordinator when St. Nicholas Church hosts the Laurel Winter Shelter clients for a week each winter. Liz coordinates all the food and food supplies for the entire week.

Liz believes that each community is judged based on how its people help the less fortunate among them. She said she volunteers with Elizabeth House because people need to be taken care of and she has the time. Many people are pressed for time, but Liz suggests that if you have the time, volunteer, especially now that we are seeing more social programs on the chopping block. If you can't volunteer time, food is always needed. The majority of the casseroles they serve are provided by senior residents of Riderwood, in Silver Spring.

Liz isn't looking for gratitude by volunteering, but she has found the clients to be very appreciative of what volunteers do for them. "Help in whatever way you can. It has to be done," she said.

Another nonprofit popular with older adult volunteers is Neighbor Ride, a transportation program that provides rides for seniors to medical appointments, shopping, social outings, fitness activities, religious services and other needs. Flexible daytime, evening and weekend volunteer opportunities are available. Volunteer orientations are held every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and one evening each month at 5570 Sterrett Place, Suite 102, in Columbia. For information, call 410-884-RIDE or email volunteer@neighborride.org.

George Walgrove Jr., 82, is starting his fourth year with Neighbor Ride. The Columbia resident tries to drive clients two times a week; last year he provided 77 rides to senior clients. An elder in his church, he is also on the Board of Directors for Camp Hemlock, a Christian camp for boys and girls in West Virginia, where as a flight instructor he gives air rides and teaches maneuvers to campers.

His motivation toward volunteerism started in his early 40s in Vermont, when he observed men retiring with nothing to do but pester their wives, who had their own agendas. He and his wife, Norma, decided to divide their life activities between spiritual, family, employment, community service and fitness. So, retirement was an easy transition for them.

As George said, "They just slipped into retirement." He likes to call it "redirection," not retirement. He and his wife both stay fit and are active hikers.

George also feels that he gets more out of volunteer driving than his riders. All of his riders are very appreciative of his service and he has developed close attachments to some of the people.

 

George said, "It is a wonderful feeling to have helped someone."

Wendy van Antwerp, 66, of Columbia, has volunteered with Neighbor Ride for more than three years. She drives clients two or three times a week and is now a ride coordinator two or three times a month. After a forced retirement, she especially enjoys the ride coordinator job because she realized how much she missed being in an office environment.

Wendy's motivation to volunteer with Neighbor Ride stemmed from her experience when her mother moved here from Maine in 2000. There was no transportation service to help her get her mother where she needed or wanted to go. Wendy often had to take off work to take her mother to appointments. Her mother has since died, but Wendy said that her Neighbor Ride women clients often seem like her mother and that makes her feel young, like she's a daughter.

Wendy has found that people are so appreciative of the rides and it is "so much more rewarding than her work years." During rides, she is amazed at how much there is to talk about and how the history and lives of riders are so interesting. Wendy drove a recent client to the lobby of an office building, where he played the piano while people came into work. He has been doing this for 19 years; it is his livelihood but he can no longer drive himself to the destination.

Wendy sat and listened to him play and thoroughly enjoyed herself. "As you can tell, I'm pretty enthusiastic about it," Wendy said.

Since September 2005, Sue Appletree, of Columbia, has volunteered on Tuesdays as a ride coordinator in the Neighbor Ride office. She and her husband also run a nonprofit, Prepare for Success, collecting and providing school supplies to low-income and homeless Howard County public school students.

Sue volunteers with Neighbor Ride so she can help people, especially seniors who may not have family in the area and may be isolated. Sue gets a lot of repeat clients on the phone; gets to know them; and they are like longtime friends. She also gets to know the volunteer drivers and has developed friendships with staff members. All involved learn about each other and from each other. "When I am not there, I miss it," Sue said.

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