April 2021
Through the Eyes of Those We Serve
Celebrating National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week, first recognized in 1974, is an opportunity to express gratitude for those who share their time and talents in service of others. We can tell you how much we appreciate our volunteers, but we think the impact of their service is better demonstrated through the eyes of those they serve.
 
It is a high honor to be able to return the care given to us by our parents as they age. Imagine the apprehension felt when your loved one transitions into a care home, and you cannot be there every day – who can you trust to support them and their individual needs? Now imagine the relief when an expert Ombudsman program volunteer steps up, provides education, and offers advocacy. Now you can be sure mom or dad knows who to turn to when you can’t be there, and they are in caring and capable hands.
 
Imagine sending your child to school every day fearing they might not receive the individualized attention needed to succeed – a distressful feeling shared by many parents of children with exceptional needs. Over time with the support of a classroom Foster Grandparent volunteer, you realize your child is building skills and confidence to not just get by, but to thrive.
 
Consider the aging service member who used to enjoy going to the VFW, but no longer gets out as often as they used to. Their children, though they call often, have committed their time to their careers, and their grandchildren are attending college around the country and cannot make it home to visit very often. Their circle gets smaller as they find it harder to find peers with shared interests. A perceptive Volunteer Coordinator knows the newest recruit to the Telephone Reassurance program will be a great fit; a young veteran with a dry sense of humor. Connecting over their shared military experience, and reflecting over the differences created by time, the two veterans form a lasting friendship.
 
Picture the individual who has gone through life fearlessly tackling obstacles presented by disability and chronic illness. With bravery, they take measures to better their health by participating in new therapies, only to find that the costs may mean rationing between food and life-saving medication. A friend suggests calling the Apprise Program to see if they can help. After a review of the beneficiary’s Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, the volunteer counselor is able to offer help with enrollment in a plan that will better cover the cost of the medication. The volunteer gave less than an hour, but the result was immeasurable – the beneficiary is no longer left with the unimaginable choice between health and hunger. 
 
Think of the grandmother, nurturing her family through the years by sharing her culinary gifts. Grocery shopping slowly became exhausting and standing at the stove for hours on end no longer possible. Even cooking simple meals for two was tasking, and what was once a joy now became a burden. Then comes a knock on the door, accompanied by a friendly face. A Meals on Wheels Endless Mountains volunteer has arrived with a nutritious meal, and a kind word. Suddenly distress is replaced with peace, and there’s time left in her day for another passion, as she delicately keys out a familiar tune on the family piano.  
 
This National Volunteer Month, we hope you will join us in recognizing the power of volunteers to take on society’s greatest challenges, and truly change the world by bettering the lives of others in their communities. 

Farmers Market Nutrition Program: Starts June 1

The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program provides eligible older adults with vouchers for the purchase of Pennsylvania-grown fresh fruits and vegetables.

Vouchers will be available starting June 1.

Stay tuned for more information!
A Hero's Welcome
COVID struck and our world was turned upside down. Our priorities were put into focus. Our heroes no longer wore capes, played in the major league, starred on the big screen, nor would you find them in the Hall of Fame, or their name imprinted on a star in Hollywood.  The heroes during COVID were basically unknowns; no big names, no Emmys, no Heisman Trophy, but true heroes nether the less, serving in the shadows, not under the big lights.

One such hero, they lovingly call her “Cioci” (Polish for aunt or auntie). Her come-back story, will warm your heart, just as Geri Curry “Cioci” warms the hearts and lives of the children and staff at Elk Lake Elementary School, where she serves as a Foster Grandparent.