Woman keeps her volunteer schedule full to help where she's needed

There is no age limit on helping others, and people of any age can volunteer to be of assistance to their neighbors.

Agnes Drozdz uses a walker these days, and will soon be celebrating her 90th birthday, but she has no plans to stop assisting her fellow residents at Brighton Gardens retirement home in Prospect Heights.

"I feel sorry for them; it makes me feel good to help others and to be needed," this feisty senior said. "I tell the boss, I am old, but I'm still needed."

It appears that Drozdz really shouldn't refer to herself as being "retired"; she is just too busy. She volunteers to perform clerical duties in the office at Brighton Gardens; she grates potatoes for the potato pancakes; butters homemade bread for the refreshments that are served at afternoon tea; and she conducts the penny-ante card games that are just one of the many activities that are provided for the residents. She reads the cards for some of her friends who have impaired vision, and she assists another lady who likes to play bunco, but who can't quite manage it on her own.

"Agnes is very caring and so helpful with the residents. I really don't know how I would manage without her," said Margaret Pilat, volunteer coordinator at Brighton Gardens.

Drozdz has never been a person who was content to just sit around and do nothing. She and her late husband, Joseph, raised six children, and she also operated a children's day care center for 11 years out of their home in Schiller Park. She has traveled extensively, including multiple trips to Hawaii, and three years ago she spent two months in India. She enjoys reading -- especially mysteries and romance novels, and joins other residents on bus outings and dining out.

She is a member of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and the Red Hat Society. Drozdz keeps in close touch with her family, and in addition to her three daughters and one son, she has 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Hundreds of volunteer opportunities in this area are available through The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Prospective volunteers of all ages are urged to call The Volunteer Center at (847) 228-1320 or RSVP (adults 55 years of age or better) at (847) 228-1006. Additional information can also be obtained by visiting www.volunteerinfo.com.

Currently, volunteers are especially needed that are willing to help out in local schools, and with adult Read-To-Learn programs.