From the Volunteer Corner
By Elke Martin, Volunteer Program Coordinator

October 2007
This month, I want to introduce you to someone who has largely worked behind the scenes - Jack Gotte has been the head, heart and soul of the Light & Sound group that works under the auspices of Channel 6. 
Jack and his wife Carol came to Greenspring in October of 2000, and they agree that this was one of the best decisions they ever made.  They are very happy here and enjoy all aspects of our community. 
Jack and Carol had moved around when Jack was serving in the military.  About 40 years ago, they came to Springfield, liked it and stayed here once he left the service.  Then Jack drove a school bus for several years before retiring in 1997.  They have 2 sons, one in West Springfield and one in Frederick, MD, and 2 grandchildren (12 and 14 years old) whom they like to see as often as possible.
While Carol is a specialist in needle-woven necklaces, Jack has always been interested in photography and electronics.  That’s the knowledge he is putting to good use at Channel 6.  Julie Reid, lead TV-coordinator, says,”Jack really is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to anything technical that has to do with light and sound equipment.  Jack knows so much and he is willing to share his gifts. We cannot thank him enough!”
  Recently Jack spent some time at Renaissance Gardens.  We do wish him and Carol well and hope for a speedy recovery.
For two years in a row, Jack received the Presidential Service Award in Gold (more than 500 hours of volunteering in one calendar year) at Greenspring.
We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Jack, for all you have done for us!  You better get well soon!”

September 2007
This month, I would like you to meet one of our residents whom many of you know – she has been deeply involved with Electoral Board and with the Registrar.  I am talking about Kathleen Henry, resident in CS since April 2003.  And a dedicated resident at that!  She is always out finding new stories and reasons why all her friends should live at Greenspring.
“Without Greenspring, my husband and I would just be two little old people sitting in our house in Centreville”, she says.  Centreville and other towns in Northern Virginia they called home since 1966.  Kathleen had a long career as a teacher, an assistant principal and she is still working as a GED administrator.  Her favorite subject was social studies.
She has two children, and son in Burke and a daughter in Reston.  Kathleen is very involved with her two grandchildren.
And as if that wasn’t all, she is an ESL tutor here at Greenspring helping staff from other countries improve on their English. 
With all this involvement and activity one wonders how she finds time to be the resident leader for this year’s summer camp, “SummerKids @ Greenspring”.  In conjunction with the Volunteer office, Kathleen has prepared various games and learning activities (social studies, again!) and 24 children have enjoyed the SummerKids program this year.
We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Kathleen, for all you do for us!”

August 2007
This month, I would like you to meet one of our students who have been with us through 2 summers:  Larry Clay jr.  Larry has volunteered in the Outpatient Rehab office in Hunters Crossing, in the HomeHealth office in Forest View, in the Volunteer Program office in RG and this summer he is helping out in the Medical Records office.
Larry is an honor student of West Springfield High and first came to us through the Holmes Annex; a part of the school system where students learn about Office Procedure and Technology. 
He liked his work at Greenspring so much that he asked to be placed here again when he moved over to the Pulley Career Center for Independent Living Skills.  At the same time, everybody at Greenspring who worked with Larry or just crossed path with this friendly young man, enjoyed his presence so Larry was invited back to spend 90 minutes each Monday through Thursday supporting the HomeHealth office.  Larry is always prompt, neat and polite.  He is a very conscientious and detail-oriented worker and we felt comfortable trusting him with big filing jobs.
Larry worked over 190 hours as an office volunteer which earned him a Presidential Service Award for 2006 – a proud achievement!
As the school year came to an end, Larry asked once again if he could come back over the summer and volunteer at Greenspring.  It so happened that we needed some extra help in the Medical Records office.  “Larry is a real treasure”, says Gretchen Lacy, Medical Records manager.  “He has a delightful spirit.  He manages mundane tasks with an energy and enthusiasm that is infectious.  In fact, he works so hard - he keeps me on my toes and we get a lot of work done!  Larry loves Kenny Rodgers and lunch at the Potomac Café.”
We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Larry, for all you do for us!”

July 2007
This month, I would like you to meet one of our very steady, long-term volunteers:  Maggie Havey.  Every Tuesday and Thursday Maggie works behind the volunteer desk on the 2nd floor of RG.  She is the data entry queen of this office!  If any volunteer ever wondered what we do with their entries in the various volunteer sign-in books around campus, this is it: Maggie records every volunteer hour in our database.
Maggie has lived in Springfield since 1984.  Originally, she hails from Queens, NY.  Her first job was as a long-distance telephone operator – we know that was a while ago…  After several other opportunities, Maggie had made her way up to Executive Assistant, as we would call it today, for organizations like Outward Bounds and American HomeBuilders Association.  Then she joined the federal government and worked for FAA until.  It was in the government that she met her 2nd husband, Bob.
Unfortunately, after an accident Maggie was not able to continue working.  Thankfully, she has recovered to the point where she can help us out in the volunteer office, and we are grateful for that – I don’t know anyone else who enjoys data entry like she does!  Maggie enjoys volunteering at Renaissance Gardens and also at Annandale Adult DayCare Center where she helps with Bingo and has made some friends.  On her days off she likes to read fiction (mostly mystery and suspense) and to shop.  With Bob she often enjoys ballroom dancing.
We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Maggie, for keeping us all on the books!”  We should also thank Bob for being Maggie’s chauffeur.

June 2007
This month, I would like you to meet one of our very busy, very engaged and engaging volunteers:  Helen Reynolds.  Many of you know Helen – or at least have seen Helen on Channel 6 where she serves as a talk show host (who doesn’t remember the famous “Helen & Ellen Show”?).   She also helps out with voice over work behind the scenes of Channel 6.
Helen and her sister Betty are natives to Washington D.C.; fourth generation on each side, as she proudly points out!  After going to school and college in the District, Helen found work at the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and worked there as a science editor.  In late January of 2000, she moved into Greenspring and has been involved in many activities since.  At this time, she is the last remaining of the original staff members of the “Villager” bringing news from around campus to you on a regular basis.  Helen also is a part of the Knit, Crochet, and Chat group and enjoys making blankets for RG.  Furthermore, she helps out in the library, and is engaged in the chorus, with video aerobics and in the Catholic community.
It is surprising that she has time left for her hobbies, which include reading mystery stories, attending concerts of the Fairfax symphony, tending to her 26 house plants and traveling.  With her sister, Helen has seen a great deal of Europe, Africa, Central and South America.
All of this, plus keeping up with 3 nieces and their children makes Helen an interesting person and we are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Helen, for all you are doing for us!

April 2007
This month, I would like you to meet one of our extraordinary volunteers:  Linda Martz.  For many of you Linda is a familiar face – every week she comes over to RG at least times.  First, she picks up clothes that need mending from the laundry rooms, then she does the mending (and often some additional ironing!) and then she returns the pieces in 2 days.  Linda says, “Residents don’t like to wait. They want their clothes back as soon as possible.”  Her understanding of this situation and her consistent support shows just the degree of compassion Linda has for other people.

That was also one of the reasons why Linda went into nursing as a profession.  She worked on the oncology floor – that was just her niche.  Sometimes, she misses the patients, and she says, “you should never get used to their suffering.”

Since 1965, Linda and her husband Doug lived in McLean where they raised 4 children until they moved to Great Falls in 1995.  Linda considers herself very lucky that they moved to Greenspring in September of 2003:  “I love living here.  People are so friendly here, and we have made so many interesting friends.”  Even though they have 5 grandchildren they don’t see much of them because none of them are local.   Besides volunteering, Linda spends her time Knitting, sewing, playing the violin and the recorder.  She also sings, and many of you have seen her when the Greenspring Choristers or the Players perform.

We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Linda, for all you are doing for us!”

March 2007
For the month of March, we honor a special group of volunteers: I want to tell you about a reception held on Feb 20 in the Accotink room.  We gathered to celebrate the recipients of the 2006 Presidential Service Award.
 The Presidential Service Awards are a nation-wide program that was started by President G.H.W.Bush.  Every volunteer, who puts in more than 100 hours within a 12 month period is honored with the Presidential Service Award.  100 to 249 hours will get you the Award in Bronze, 250 to 499 hours the Silver, and more than 500 hours of service merit the award in Gold.  The award consists of a certificate, a letter from the White House, a letter from the Chair of the President’s Council of Volunteering and Community Service, and a pin.  You can see this is a very prestigious recognition and we are so proud to hold this annual event!
For 2005, we had 32 volunteers who qualified for this outstanding accomplishment, and in 2006 that number had grown to 49!!!!  Out of the total group, 16 are volunteers who come from the larger Springfield/Alexandria community.  They help out in various capacities the following departments:  Housekeeping,; Dining Services; Channel 6; Visiting RG; Knit & Crochet group;  ESL;  HR support; Volunteer office support; Elementary School Tutors; Friendly Neighbors; Late Bloomers; Wellness Balance class; RG pottery class;  RG Bingo;  ESL; Marketing support; RG wheelchair escort; HomeHealth support, and computer lab.
This year’s recipients of the Presidential Service Award are:  Bronze -, Jason Ailshire, Clare Anzalone, Roberta Assur, Demarcus Barksdale, Amanda Beasley, Jean Bley, Thea Bratton, Edna Brill, Ashley Carter, Larry Clay jr., Robert Cromwell, Michael Deliman, Amanda Diamond, Amy Feldstein, Howard Furtaw, Maggie Havey, Anne Herrmann, Frances Huenemann, Bill Humphrey, Alex Keskinen, Susan Klein, Betty Kourkoutas, Marge Krape, Nora Leng, Jo Lombard, Jamie Ogden, Betty Pelkey, Christine Pilar, Hazel Poole, Lou Pugliese, Irene Rehbock, Helen Reynolds, John Schultz, Sharon Sellers, Rosemarie Shannon, Madge Smith, Elaine Sorensen, Betty Spaulding, Juanada Teas, Hildegard Walker, Bob Zikowitz; Silver - Charles Francisco, Nathan Guerrina, Lawrence Hodapp, Linda Martz, Gerry McDonnell; Gold - Marcia Dake, Jack Gotte, Frank Richardson.

We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer corps here at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, thank you, for all you continue to do for us and congratulations on your well-deserved awards!”

February 2007
This month, I would like you to meet one of our extraordinary volunteers:  Irene Rehbock.  I am sure many of you know her since Irene is a very active lady and wears many different hats.  She volunteers in the Intermissions program once a week, she is part of the Knit, Crochet & Chat group where she makes baby hats and blankets for the Children’s Oncology ward at Fairfax hospital.  Irene is also actively involved in the Jewish Council here at Greenspring, and you can often see her in RG on the 3rd Saturday of the month for the Shabbat service. 
Irene was born in Hamburg, Germany, and was on the first Kindertransport to England in 1938.  There she lived with a family and went to school.  In 1945, Irene was reunited with her family in the United States.  She has lived here ever since and came to Fairfax about 50 years ago.  She worked as a baby nurse with a LPN degree from New York State.   Later, she and her husband raised a daughter and 2 sons in Fairfax.  Today, she enjoys one grandson who comes to visit from North Carolina.
Irene came to Greenspring 6 years ago, and she has not stopped since!  “I am not ready to kick the bucket yet”, she says, “so I do whatever I can to stay in shape.”  That includes swimming 3 days a week and exercising twice, serving on the Resident Life II committee as well as knitting, reading, and solving crossword puzzles (in ink, no less!).  In previous years, Irene has served on the Dining Committee and on the Health Committee.
We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Irene, for all you are doing for us!”

 

January 2007
For the first month of the New Year, I would like you to meet one of our extraordinary volunteers:  Susan Klein.  For just over a year, Susan has been a weekly visitor forging a caring, friendly relationship with our residents on the 3rd floor of EV.  You may also have met her last summer when she organized the book fair, and even talked her husband into helping!

Susan and her husband have been in VA for over 30 years, raised 3 children here and now enjoy 5 grandchildren.  They take a lot of Susan’s time, and when she is not at RG or with her grandchildren you can find her steeped into genealogy.

When I first met Susan she told me she missed her parents who had passed on, and she missed the connection to the older generation.  Her standard answer, when a resident thanks her for something is, “oh thank you!  I get a lot more out of my volunteer experience than I give!”  We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Susan, for all you are doing for us!”

November 2006
For the month of November, I would like you to meet Hazel Poole – that is if you don’t know her already.  She is the volunteer of the month, and for a very good reason:  Hazel Poole organizes the ESL classes here at Greenspring.

ESL - you may ask, what do we need to learn English for?  Well, we have many staff members here at Greenspring who come from other parts of the world.  Not all of them have had an opportunity to learn English well before they got here.  At the same time we all know just how important communication is.  That’s where Hazel and her group of volunteers come in.  About 23 IL residents under the leadership of Hazel teach English as a Second Language to our staff from other countries.  The course is 10 weeks long, and staff and volunteers meet twice a week.  After successful completion of the course the students receive a certificate.  Even better, they now know a little better how to navigate in this country; they can chat with our residents and their world opens up.  Hazel Poole offers the 10-week course three times a year, and some staff participate more than once.  One measure of success is the fact that quite a few students feel confident enough to apply for other jobs after the English training.

Hazel is always on the lookout for more volunteer teachers and also for substitutes.  Sometimes she has to sub herself when several of her regular volunteers are out for one reason or another.  That keeps Hazel busy, and she likes it that way.  In fact, she has been busy all her life, her husband tells me. 

Before moving into Greenspring in February 2000, the Poole family lived in Springfield for more than 50 years.  Their two daughters have blessed them with a total of 5 grandkids, and Hazel loves them dearly and spends quite a bit of time with them.  She was also very active in their church, as youth coordinator among other responsibilities.  Hazel also worked in the government for 47 years, and ran the maintenance department for a long time.  As you can see, Hazel Poole is used to running things.  And while her husband is busy in the woodshop, she now runs the ESL classes.  Last year, more than 50 staff members received their certificates – an amazing achievement!

We are delighted to have such a dedicated volunteer at Greenspring.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Hazel, for all you have done for us!”

October 2006
For the month of October, I would like you to join me in celebrating Alex Keskinen as the volunteer of the month.  Alex came to us about a year and a half ago, in April of 2005, because he wanted to help out in whatever way we needed.  That’s how he came to being a bingo assistant.
Just about every Tuesday evening, Alex shows up around 6pm and helps residents get to the 1st floor meeting room, then calls out numbers and finds the winners as the bingo games go on.
Alex graduated from Robert E. Lee High school in 2005.  He particularly enjoys languages and plans on studying in Europe.  His goal is to be an interpreter some day, but for now he enjoys the calmer environment at Greenspring.  Alex said he finds it quite satisfying to build friendships with some of our residents, and hear about their experiences in life.  He first got acquainted with Greenspring when his grandmother, Helen Keskinen, moved into Grove Terrace.
Outside of school he occupies himself with weight-lifting, chatting with friends on the internet, and walking his dog, a Shiba-Inu (Japanese beagle).  He is very interested in reading, and his favorite topics are technology and finance.
In 2005, Alex completed over 75 hours of volunteer service, which earned him the Presidential Service Award metal in Bronze!  We are delighted to have such a dedicated office volunteer at Renaissance Gardens.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Alex, for all you have done for us!”

September 2006
This month, September, I would like you to meet one of our volunteers who comes to us from the Fairfax County School system: Dani Bryan. She has been an office support person for Jiunhong Yang, director of the HomeHealth/HomeSupport office for the past 10 weeks. Yes, all throughout the summer, Dani came to Greenspring every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to help with all the paperwork. Apparently she did an outstanding job - Jiunhong cannot stop raving about her!

Dani's mom told me that Dani has always been interested in learning and carrying out her work in a meticulous way. She was born in NC, came to Northern VA for the first time in 1987, then spent 4 early years in CA, and came back to our area when she started going to school. Just last year, she finished at West Springfield HS - even though she had to undergo double cornea transplant that year!

She is altogether a happy person, who can not easily be moved out of her positive disposition. Dani is now at the Pulley Center of West Potomac HS, a place that helps her prepare for the work world. Outside of school she likes to read, to go bowling and to hang out with her sister. We are glad that we were introduced to Dani Bryan, and that she in turn enjoyed her work experience at Greenspring.

We are delighted to have had such a dedicated office volunteer at Home Health. I am sure you will join me in saying, "Thank you, Dani, for all you have done for us!"

August 2006
I would like you to meet two IL-residents whom you have seen many times at RG – Amy Feldstein and Ben de Olazo.  They have distributed the mail in Rose Court and then in Evergreen Terrace for 4 (four!) years.  Congratulations on that achievement and many, many thanks for being the steadiest long-term mail deliverers ever!

Amy Feldstein wanted to make sure we would not think she was just slacking off when she told me last month that she would like to retire from her volunteer position–she told me that she is celebrating her 99th birthday!  I think that is outstanding and we join many well wishers in saying “many happy returns of this day!”

She graduated from medical school in 19 which made her one of the very early female doctors in the country.  Since her retirement, she has.  Obviously, she likes to walk because you can see her walking all over campus all the time – no bus ride for Amy!  She also loves to play scrabble and heads the scrabble group in VS every Monday night.

Ben de Olazo came to Greenspring with his wife in 2000.  He had served in the military for xx years.  Now he enjoys…  He had known Amy Feldstein for many years because she was the pediatrician of his children, xx and yy.

We are delighted to have had such a dedicated mail pair at RG for the past 4 years.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you, Amy and Ben, for all you have done for us!”

June 2006
This month I would like you to meet Lou Pugliese.  Well, many of you have certainly met Lou already since he is a tireless volunteer here at RG.  You see him every Friday afternoon when he conducts Bingo for all residents who enjoy this game.  Also, for several months he was a wheelchair escort and helped residents get to and from the rehab gym.  Now he is thinking about creating a men’s group.  I guess, it’ll depend on your response whether that will take off.  It sounds good to me!

Lou Pugliese is a local guy who lived in Franconia before moving in to Greenspring.  He was a school teacher at a Junior High all the way to retirement.   After his wife died and the kids were married, Lou decided it was time to sell the house and come to Greenspring – and since September 2003 he has enjoyed living here very much.  He also enjoys listening to records or to old radio shows.

We are delighted to have a volunteer like Lou among our friends, and I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you for all you do!”

May 2006
This month meet Mary Ellen Feid.  About three years ago she responded to Ann Jaekle’s ad on the internet looking for a volunteer web instructor.   And a lasting relationship was born!
Originally from MA, Mary Ellen came to our area in 1968.  After working for the government for 6 years, she moved into private industry and just retired after 33 years with the same company!
She retired because she loves to crochet and wants to teach crocheting.  She also likes reading and traveling to the beach.  We are glad that she will continue as a Greenspring volunteer into this new part of her life.
Since 2003, Mary Ellen has come to the Greenspring computer lab every Tuesday evening to teach residents the ways with modern communication technology.  Every month, at least 16 people have benefited from her wisdom, and they keep coming back for more information.  We are delighted to have a computer wizard among our friends, and I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you for all you do, Mary Ellen!”

April 2006
This month I want to introduce you to someone very special to us, someone you have seen over at RG often:   Freda Burner.   Hardly ever do you see Freda by herself; she is accompanied by her dogs, the little yorkies!

Freda is the one who started the pet therapy program at RG last year.  She was convinced that visiting residents in RG with her dogs would make a difference, would spread smiles and good feelings, and she was right!!  The first dog ever to come and visit was Freda’s little Tinkerbell.  Many people here at Greenspring grew to love Tinkerbell and were saddened with Freda when Tinkerbell left this world after our last Mardi Gras celebration on February 28.  We will all remember Tinkerbell.  She had been with Freda for about 15 years.  Freda also had her mom and dad, and the 3 dogs traveled with Freda and her husband all around the country.

Freda grew up in Massachusetts and came to our area in 1955 to work for the government.  She worked for the State Dept. in Istanbul, Turkey, from 1958-64 and loved it!  After that time, she returned to this area and has lived here ever since.  
Besides dogs, traveling is one of Freda’s interests.  So she and her husband bought an RV, loaded the dogs and took off.  Freda has visited all 50 states.

Also, her family is very important to her.  She has one sister, a niece and nephew, and three step-children whom she loves very much.  Hazel Cross, an acquaintance from old and now also a Greenspring resident, has become a close friend.

I think, we can count ourselves lucky to have someone like Freda among us.  Twice a month she brings the dogs to visit everybody at RG, and not only that, she also encourages others to bring their dogs.  The Mardi Grad parade and the doggie fashion show were also her ideas.   And she was open to another suggestion:  when the volunteer coordinator from Mt. Vernon Lee Enterprises (MVLE), an organization that works with adults with disabilities, asked if any of our dogs could come and visit Freda was ready!  On our first visit we had 6 dogs with us, and now 3 -4 members of our pet therapy group go to MVLE every other month -  the folks there eagerly await the hairy visitors, just like our residents at RG.  Nothing brings a smile to people’s faces like a friendly dog.  I am sure you will join me in saying, “Thank you for all you do, Freda!”

March 2006
This month I want to introduce you to two ladies who came to us last year:   Sharon Sellers and Jamie Ogden.  They had recently retired and wanted to see if they could help out some.  Since they describe themselves as gym rats (they work out every morning at a Fitness Center in Fairfax!) our own wellness center was the obvious match.  Now Sharon and Jamie come every Thursday to help with the balance classes.  This way they spend between 25 and 30 hours at Greenspring every month.

Sharon Sellers and her partner, Mort Glassberg, live with our two miniture schnauzers, Guy and Gracie, in Annandale, VA.  She retired 19 months ago after 37 1/2 years federal service with the Department of Defense.  Since then, Sharon has thoroughly enjoyed time with my family, friends, traveling, gardening, decorating her home and her neighbor's home, shopping and putting good health at the start to every day.  She has also pursued new hobbies like knitting, crocheting and volunteering.  Beside working with the Fitness Center at Greensprings Retirement Village, Sharon volunteers monthly at the Green Spring Garden's Manor House serving tea to ladies in Fairfax County.   Recently Sharon stuffed towelette/personal care bags for soldiers serving in Iraq, a USO sponsored project held at Fort Belvoir.  She is also a charter member of a diversity group in Mason District where she lives, a member of her mother's garden club in Virginia Beach, and President of her homeowner's association. 

Jamie Ogden can be called a native; she has lived in this area since she was 5 years old.  In 2004 she retired from a very busy position as project director at Freddie Mac.  The 3 siblings she takes care of are cats.  They just celebrated their 14th birthday!  Besides the gym, Jamie enjoys arts & crafts, does needlepoint work, reads and likes to shop - preferably shoes.  I think, she must have an extra closet just for shoes; she told me she has over 200 pair!

Both Sharon and Jamie really enjoy Betty Price and her Balance Class in our Wellness Center.  They say they love to see how much the staff here cares about the students and the progress they are making with each class.  It is so gratifying to see the changes in the residents, not only in their overall posture but also in their confidence as they get stronger with practice from the exercises they learn in the weekly class.  Also, the opportunity to work with the Balance Classes has certainly changed Sharon and Jamie’s attitude about lifetime fitness.  For Greenspring, it has been a blessing to have these two ladies be spotters and support to the wellness staff.  We are delighted that Jamie and Sharon decided to spend some of their precious time with us!  Thank you for all you do, Sharon and Jamie

February 2006
This month I want to introduce one of our residents to you:  Mrs. Florence Verdin.  She came to the Canterbury Square neighborhood about 2 ½ years ago. She chose Greenspring because everybody smiled at her!   Florence is quite the adventurous kind: in 1943, she went to Alaska to teach.  She had a great time there, she picked cranberries and wild strawberries, learnt to ski and to ice-skate, to fish and even to shoot a gun.  The only thing she did not learn was how to fly a plane – definitely outside the price range for a teacher!  Alaska was also the place where she met her future husband, Peter.  They had 8 (eight!) children and were able to enjoy 53 years together.  In 1065, they moved to Bethesda, MD.  Now Florence has 17 grandchildren. 

Florence has been part of the Greenspring Tutors, and for over 2 years she has helped elementary school kids to get a better handle on reading and math.  She has also been part of the Friendly Neighbors group visiting other residents in RG and running little errands for someone in need in the Independent part.  Florence is also involved in many other activities here on campus, e.g. she teaches an introductory class of American Sign Language.  All of this is happening from Florence’s wheelchair which she maneuvers with great finesse.  I am so glad that Florence Verdin decided to move to Greenspring in 2003, so that we all may share her many talents and her kindness.  Thank you for all you do, Florence!

January 2006
This month the spotlight is on a mother and son team:  meet Laura and Tom Lundquist!

Initially, it was Tom who was looking for some volunteer opportunity but when we all got together and talked about what Greenspring, and RG is particular, has to offer Laura decided to come along.  Since February 2004, nearly a year now, you have seen the two roam the halls and hand out the mail to you.  They come in every Monday and Thursday afternoon.

They are not newcomers to volunteering.  Tom is an Eagle scout and his mom has been active in the Fairfax County School system as well as with the Red Cross and her church, Fort Belvoir Catholic church.  When I asked Tom why he wanted to volunteer, he simply said, “I just like to help others.”

For his Eagle Scout project Tom collected and sent a great number of books to a rural area in North Dakota where people hardly have access to any good reading material.  They were so appreciative of Tom’s activity the senator sent him a Thank you note!

And now it is our turn to be appreciative.  It is always a joy to see both, Tom and Laura, walk the halls and chat with our residents while they bring the mail to the rooms.    In fact, they have since become role models and we now have two more mother-and-son volunteer teams here at RG.  We are happy to have you with us and thank you for all you do, Tom and Laura!

December 2005
This month, I want you to meet a very special man:  Robert Achenbach.   He is a resident in Canterbury Square.  Hi and his wife, Marion, came to Greenspring a little of two years ago.  After living in Springfield while Bob was an engineer in the navy, the couple had made their home in lovely Fredericksburg.   They lived there from 1989 until 2003.

For many years, Bob Achenbach volunteered at the Fredericksburg hospital as a patient escort.  His wife could not understand why he left the house at 5 or 6am but he thoroughly enjoyed escorting people who had to go in for surgery.

The couple was reluctant to give up their home but have found new friends at Greenspring.  Also, two of their three daughters live in Northern Virginia so now they are closer together.  The third daughter lives in NC.   The Achenbachs enjoy their 4 grandchildren, 3 of whom are boys.  They also love to play Shanghai.

Every Wednesday afternoon Bob makes the rounds in Renaissance Gardens and delivers the mail, even though he has trouble with his legs and has to take a break sometimes!  All the more do we appreciate his help!  Thank you for all you do, Bob!

November 2005
I want you to meet a very special family this month:  the Vu’s.   Ngoc-Yen Vu came to the United States in 1985, from Vietnam.  Her two children, Amy (17) and Bryan (nearly 15), grew up here.  The day after Bryan turned 14 they were in my office, offering their help.  (The minimum age for volunteers at Greenspring is 14)

They are delightful, kind and considerate people and right away I knew that we were lucky to have them as volunteers.  Since last December, Amy and Bryan have been here just about every weekend.  They distribute the mail, they escort residents in wheelchairs to church service and back to their rooms, and they visit and play games with many residents. 

For special occasions, Yen, the mom, also comes and lends her support.  Before Amy could drive herself and her brother here, Yen drove to Greenspring every weekend bringing Amy and Bryan to their volunteer shifts.  Why did she do that?  “I feel strongly that my children should learn to contribute to society as a whole, and not just the family”, says Yen.  “They learn so much more from other people, and they appreciate the older generation.”

Yen went on to say that all of them felt welcome here at Renaissance Gardens right away, and the also appreciate how organized, clean and caring our facility is.  When I thanked her for steering her children to spending time with us on a regular basis she said, “ oh, we want to thank you for taking us in.  Coming to Greenspring brings joy to our family, and it builds confidence and helps my kids develop and voice their opinions.”

It seems, we have created a ‘win-win’ situation!  Thank you for all you do and for being part of our Greenspring family, Amy and Brian and Yen!

October 2005
This month I have the special honor to introduce one of our residents to you:  Mrs. Edna Brill.  She came to Canterbury Square with her husband Will about 2 ½ years ago.  Before that, they lived in Fairfax since 1962.  They have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.  One granddaughter, Naomi, is an international social worker with a specialty in tropical medicine.  She just came back from an assignment in Tanzania and will shortly be on the way to Senegal.  Another granddaughter is in the Navy and makes her grandparents proud.

No sooner was Edna settled here at Greenspring, did she begin her volunteer activities.

Right away, she started working on our tutoring program.  Mrs. Brill, in conjunction with the staff member in charge of volunteer programming, took it upon herself to run a program that provides tutoring to several local elementary schools.  Twice a week, a shuttle bus leaves Greenspring with 18 resp. 14 of our residents on board, heading for Hunt Valley Elementary or Saratoga Elementary schools.  In addition, individual residents drive themselves to Garfield Elementary school to tutor kids in reading.

This program has been very successful since its inception in 2002.  Since then, participants in this program have given over 4,250 volunteer hours to mentor and encourage young children in Springfield elementary schools.  Recently, the principal of Saratoga Elementary School told me that Greenspring residents touch the lives of 107 kids every week.  While they have to deal with attendance issues at the school – there is no attendance problem on Thursdays when the Greenspring “grandfriends” are there!

When the staff person in charge of volunteer programs left Greenspring early in 2004, Mrs. Brill took it upon herself to ensure that the program would continue.  Without her leadership it may have fallen apart.  This program has been so successful because the seniors derive as much joy and meaning out of tutoring as do the kids.  It is truly a win-win program inspiring seniors to participate in an important activity within the larger community while the youngest members of this community have a unique opportunity to learn from the wisdom and experience of their elders.

Besides the tutoring program, Edna also heads up the “Friendly Visitors” program - this one we know very well here in RG since so many visitors come by in the course of a month.  Edna also likes to decorate the windows of the crafts rooms, so she joined the “show girls”.  Her husband of  55 years – himself a very active volunteer in his own right - was in the U.S. Marine Corps, and so Edna is involved in organizing the annual birthday celebration for which about 45 residents show up for a formal dinner; “spit and polish and all”, Edna says.

For her outstanding contributions to Greenspring and the community at large, Edna was honored with the “Daily Point of Light” award from the Point of Light Foundation.  On September 1, 2005 Edna Brill was designated as the “National Volunteer of the Day”, and she received a letter of congratulations from the first president Bush as well as a call from the White House!

Greenspring is fortunate to have a person like Edna Brill on board, and her engagement reflects beyond the retirement campus to the elementary schools and right into the kids’ hearts.  You should see them light up when Edna and her tutors show up at the schools!  Thank you for all you do, Edna

September 2005
We have many wonderful volunteers here at Greenspring, and today I want to introduce you to two of them. Charles and Edit Welch have been with us for a few months. Mrs. Welch approached me first about helping here at RG, and she is one of our friendly mail delivery volunteers. Since February of this year, she walks the halls every Friday.

In April, her husband Charles joined the ranks of RG volunteers. He escorts residents in wheelchairs to and from the rehab gym every Tuesday morning.

The Welches moved to Greenspring in February of 2004. They came from Annandale where they had lived the previous 35 years. Mr. Welch taught school in Fairfax County after retiring from the army. Mrs. Welch had worked at Fairfax hospital as a LPN. Both of them still volunteer at the hospital today.

They also enjoy reading, exploring restaurants, and traveling. When I first met them they had just returned from a 30-day cruise across the Pacific Ocean—a honeymoon after 54 years of marriage!

Edith and Charles have 4 children, 15 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Here at Greenspring, they enjoy the gym and keep fit through regular exercise and walking. We are delighted to have both of them spend some of their time with us as volunteers at RG. Thank you, Charles and Edith!