Employee Volunteers Step Up and Step In

 

It is no secret that, as an organization, St. John’s has always had a deep appreciation for those that volunteer their time to support residents and programming. Unfortunately, like everything else this year, our volunteer process looks much different than in years past. With no outside visitors allowed in the building, we have had to get creative by recruiting volunteers from within.

In the past, volunteers have been essential for assisting with various activities throughout the building. With much of our social activities on pause or scaled back due to COVID-19, these activities have shifted to mainly assisting with window visits and video chats. Employees have stepped up and stepped into the shoes of volunteers this year, taking on more responsibility than ever before.  As temperatures begin to drop and window visits become less frequent, any volunteer needs now come from within the building, eliminating our ability to utilize outside help due to Coronavirus safety measures.

Volunteer Coordinator Sandy Ferguson notes that the, “absence of our outside volunteers is felt throughout St. John’s.” Luckily, we have amazing employees such as Carmen Carbonell and Tina Ocasio who go above and beyond, jumping at the opportunity to help out whenever possible. Carmen and Tina are beauticians at St. John’s Home—a service that has been placed on hold as a Coronavirus safety precaution. They have both been essential to keeping things running smoothly at the home and Sandy mentions that she is “not sure what we will do when they go back to hair.”

According to Carmen and Tina, they have a renewed sense of appreciation for our outside volunteers who are sorely missed throughout the home at this time. To the volunteers waiting for our doors to reopen, we cannot wait for you to reunite with the St. John’s family.

St. John’s appreciates its countless employees like Carmen and Tina who have dedicated their time into keeping the organization running smoothly. In a time of so much uncertainty, one thing we can count on is the dedication and compassion demonstrated daily by the employees of St. John’s.