Salute to volunteers during National Volunteer Week
“It’s the responses you get,” longtime volunteer Judie Dimond said as she set up for Shorehaven Tuesday Happy Hour with residents last week. “If a song can bring a smile to their face, and the interaction can light up their eyes, you know you’ve made a difference.”
Dimond has volunteered for 17 years with Shorehaven residents, helping with Tuesday Happy Hour almost 52 weeks a year. The Hartland resident and retail employee retired, “And I prayed on what to do next, so that I could be guided.” She said she didn’t even know what Shorehaven was 17 years before. “And now, it’s brought a whole new dimension to my life.”
“I love the warm, encouraging atmosphere here. It pervades the entire organization. The staff here, they really care.” Dimond will break into a dance during a big band performance, hum to the accordion player, and lead a resident in song during a favorite show tune. “Volunteering here provides the opportunity to bring people out, to share the joy.”
She recommends volunteering at Shorehaven whenever she can. “It’s important to recognize what you as an individual can give, no matter how large or how small…a person can give.”