The VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center is lucky to have a fantastic group of volunteers that help us serve our members! Volunteers come to us from all walks of life, ages (12 – 80 years old) and cultural backgrounds. They have a wide variety of talents and skills to share with our members, including pet therapy, art, music and computers. Most importantly, they bring companionship and compassion to support our members.     

I recently read a quote from President Woodrow Wilson that moved me and really described our volunteers: “You are not here to…

Mashi Blech is the Director of VNSNY Community Connections TimeBank.

This guest blog was written by Mashi Blech, Director of VNSNY Community Connections TimeBank

Irma was in a panic. She was having surgery and was worried how she would manage alone after coming home from the hospital. Her son was coming from out of town on Day One but what about Day Two, Three and Four? Who would run to the pharmacy or make her some chicken soup?

Vivian moved to this country knowing no one. She was afraid to even leave her…

Volunteers are a vital part of the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center. They bring their talents and compassionate care to our seniors every day. We are grateful for their contributions to our center, and we’re very appreciative of the VNSNY Volunteer Department staff who work hard to find the help we need.

This week I had the honor of celebrating the 90^th birthday for one of our very special center volunteers.  Mr. A. volunteered with us for over 3 years.  He’s a retired Broadway Director but you would never know about his…

Photo by Deirdre Nolan

I have often remarked that when a volunteer and a patient get together for the first time it can best be summed up as a cross between a blind date and a job interview. Imagine introducing another volunteer to this scenario – a four-legged furry one that possesses only non-verbal communication skills, the most important of which is a happily wagging tail.

I recently met a volunteer who has gone through VNSNY hospice training and training conducted by the Good Dog Foundation whose mission is to provide animal…