by Ashley Loomis, Volunteer Coordinator; photo by Timothy Murphy
“When you will be near the poor, give yourself wholeheartedly.” This quote from St. Jeanne Jugan describes our volunteers perfectly because that is exactly what they do for our elderly at the Mullen Home! St. Jeanne Jugan must be so proud and grateful for our volunteers, and so are we!
God blessed us with a break from the rain and cold with a beautiful sunny day that we could barbecue and appreciate our wonderful volunteers on Saturday, May 21, 2011. To start off the appreciation day, we joined in thanksgiving to celebrate the Eucharist at Mass with Fr. Tim who gave all the volunteers a special blessing. We gathered for fellowship and a meal on the outdoor patio that was especially decorated to appreciate our volunteers. Each volunteer received much praise and several gifts from our staff and sisters. Although one day of appreciation is never enough to repay all the kindness that we receive from our volunteers, we hope that we bless them in other ways too.
Here are a few reflections of our volunteers who shared about the most enjoyable part about volunteering and what they have learned from their experience:
“Everything. Making the Residents happy and to see them smile.”
Sandy Closken
“Visiting the Residents and getting to know them is the most enjoyable part. I have observed how some residents deal with adversity and health problems with a positive attitude and with faith.”
Patrick Sartorius
“The Residents are very open and willing to share about fun times and challenging times. They are such a blessing in my life.”
Gloria Sisneros
“I have learned about ‘slowing down,’ and realizing the most important things in life.”
Mary Fowler
“The most enjoyable part of volunteering is being with the Residents. I’ve learned that the more we give, the ‘richer’ we are.”
Marge Osborne
“The most enjoyable part is getting to know the Residents and being able to serve them. How wonderful it feels to give my time to these wonderful people and be able to help them.”
Marilyn Hutchison
“The most enjoyable part is being able to visit with the Residents and bring company to them, showing them that they are loved and matter to us. The Residents have shown in subtle ways that they appreciate us coming.”
Kurtis Griess
May God reward all of our amazing volunteers!
We appreciate our volunteers!