In honor of volunteer appreciation week, we would like to share with you just a few of the remarkable volunteers who have come to our home and have become part of our family. Each volunteer has their own unique story of what lead them to The Little Sisters of the Poor. Each story sounds like a miracle of how they were guided here and found a place within the home that was waiting to be filled by only them.
For instance, volunteers Esther and Dan Root had never heard of the Little Sisters of the Poor until searching the internet shortly after Dan’s mother had passed. Dan’s mother ran a nursing home and cared for the elderly as her life’s work, much like our foundress St. Jeanne Jugan. Now a retired Corporate Pilot, Dan knew he wanted to carry on his Mother’s work in some way. He called The Little Sisters of the Poor on the same day that our Mother Superior stated she wished we had someone to help in maintenance. It was no coincidence that Dan loves to fix things and his wife Esther loves to sew and do crafts. Since that day Dan and Esther have come to volunteer at the home faithfully every Tuesday and Wednesday. They found their perfect fit.
There is a similar story for our dedicated volunteers Sandy and Bill. Sandy became close to the elderly while visiting her Father in a nursing home. She realized the need elderly have just to see a smiling face and hear a kind word. Sandy now volunteers every week taking our residents back and forth from our physical therapy department, always making them feel good with her sweet words along the way. Bill cared lovingly for his mother who lived independently until her passing. He took her anywhere she needed to go and now he does the same thing for our residents, taking them to the doctors, shopping, or just out for a slice of pizza.
Volunteers many times go unnoticed. They are the smiling face you see walking the halls. We do not see their acts of love and kindness. They never ask or expect any recognition, but God sees. That is their true reward. To all our volunteers, we cannot thank you enough for caring for our elderly poor.
Longtime resident Tom Trimpe could not have stated it any better when he said, “People don’t realize how fortunate we are to have the volunteers we have. We are truly blessed. They make the home what it is. Like heaven on earth.”
If you would like to see if you have a perfect place waiting here for you, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jerri Szlizewski at (513) 281-8001 x131 admscincinnati@littlesistersofthepoor.org.
Volunteers, We Say Thanks!