Residents of retirement communities stay active by volunteering

Ninety-year-old Eugene Daily doesn't have time to talk right now. He's on his way to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield where he volunteers two days a week.

Another two days a week, he helps at the Pioneer Club, which provides materials for church Bible clubs. Twice a month, he works at Wise Penny Shop in Wheaton, which is run by the Central DuPage Hospital Auxiliary.

Daily, a resident of Windsor Park retirement community in Carol Stream, is by no means alone in his volunteer activities.

Julie DeGrace, community outreach coordinator at Windsor Park, said a survey of residents last year showed they put in 14,000 volunteer hours for more than 30 community organizations. That doesn't count the volunteer work they do within the 500-member continuing care retirement community itself, she said.

“I also find things for them to do,” she said. “We have wonderful residents.”

In the holiday season when senior facilities often are flooded with offers from community groups to visit, entertain, help with parties and provide gifts and treats, the giving isn't all one way.

Many retirement home residents are doing volunteer work in the community on a year-round basis.

Daily said he works at Central DuPage with fellow Windsor Park volunteer Paul Heefner, 92. A former teacher who moved to Windsor Park from St. Louis two years ago to be near his son in Wheaton, Daily said he has volunteered most of this life, but especially after he retired.

“You get to meet people and help people,” he said. “I try to serve others. Jesus gives us an example we're supposed to follow.”

Sharing their time

Whether motivated by religious faith, a desire to help others, to make new friends, to keep active, or a combination of all those, retirees who volunteer add to their own quality of life, retirement home staff members say.

Carlos Bernal, life enrichment director at Lexington Square independent and assisted living in Lombard, said residents who volunteer often do better than those who simply stay in their rooms.

“It makes their day shorter. They feel like they still have an obligation. They have a purpose,” he said. “They're helping themselves because they're keeping active.”

Although the most active community volunteers are independent-living residents, even patients at DuPage Convalescent Center in Wheaton, a long-term care facility, find ways to give back, said Shauna Berman, manager of resident volunteer services.

The residents raise a garden and donate the food for the hungry. Members of the resident council help with a variety of tasks, from decorating to meeting new residents to running errands.

“A lot of it is about having something consistent,” Berman said. “Some do it because they want to stay busy and some do it because they want to help other people.”

For some retirement home residents, volunteering is a continuation of how they've always lived their lives.

Windsor Park residents Stanley and Melodee Yohe lived in Bogota, Columbia, after Stanley retired from Glenbard West High School so Stanley could teach at El Camino Academy, an international school that their daughter now directs. Still involved, the couple serve as the American address for the school and travel there every year or two to help out.

They also pack food for Feed My Starving Children and travel a few times a year to Missouri to help with Child Evangelism Fellowship. Melodee, a retired nurse and editor, also tutors for Literacy DuPage and works on Windsor Park's quarterly publication.

“We always said when we retire we didn't want to just lie in the sun or go golfing,” Melodee said. “It's really no different from the way we've been all our lives. When you retire, you have more time.”

Residents in Schaumburg's Friendship Village continuing care community receive help from staff in identifying volunteer opportunities and in finding transportation, if needed.

Early in December, a contingent of staff members and residents traveled to Children's Home and Aid in Schaumburg to bring gifts for children and items for parents. The next day, a group from Friendship Village put up packets of food to help feed malnourished children around the world at Feed My Starving Children's new location in Schaumburg.

The retirement community also recently received a “Super Partner” award from School District 54 because of the residents' involvement in Herbert Hoover Elementary School. Seniors go to the school to help students with homework.

Friendship Village residents also have helped the school build a greenhouse and plant a garden, where vegetables are grown and donated to the Schaumburg Food Pantry.

Waltraud Tooren, 84, a seven-year resident of Friendship Village, helped with the garden.

“I grew up with gardening so I could show people quite a bit what to do and how to do it,” she said.

Stephanie Rowinski, 83, goes to the Children Home & Aid Society weekly to rock babies and works once a week at the Willowcreek Food Pantry. A former Roselle resident, Rowinski moved to an independent living apartment at Friendship Village three years ago after she was no longer able to maintain her own home.

“I just enjoy it and I hope to keep doing it,” Rowinski said of her volunteer work. “The opportunity is there and the need is there.”

Jeannette Magdaleno, lifelong learning and community outreach volunteer coordinator at Friendship Village, said residents also volunteer at a shelter for abused children, help maintain a bike path and crochet caps for charity. They relish the chance to be useful and don't want awards for their work, she said.

“They're sharing their knowledge and expertise. They're helping a new generation,” she said. “They feel their reward is what they do, what it does for them,”

Joy in giving

Jane Miltner, director of marketing at Wyndemere, a continuing care community in Wheaton, said the community's 400 residents include those in independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehab. Among those in independent living, a significant number volunteer in the community, she said.

“The hospital is a big (volunteer opportunity) and (so is) Meals on Wheels,” she said.

Wyndemere resident George Egbert, 75, has delivered Meals on Wheels for 15 years. He also puts in a weekly stint at the Interfaith Food Pantry in Carol Stream with buddies with whom he plays golf and poker. Egbert said he has volunteered for a variety of organizations since retiring early after a career as a financial planner.

“It's something to fill up my time. I don't like to sit around,” he said.

Wyndemere resident Jane Taylor, 86, goes with a group from her church to staff the People's Resource Center in Wheaton Wednesday evenings to serve clients who can't come during daytime hours. She also collects donations from her church to deliver to PRC.

“I just feel that is part of my philosophy that we are all here to help others,” she said.

Sherry DeFillippo, community resource manager at Monarch Landing in Naperville, said many of the community's 380-plus independent-living residents volunteer on campus and off, but don't advertise their activities.

“Most of the things residents do off-site, we don't even know about,” she said.

Resident Sharon Morse serves as chairwoman of the Volunteer Project Steering Committee at Monarch Landing. The 13-member group meets monthly to research and select volunteer projects.

Current projects include making 700 holiday cards for area nursing home residents, collecting new toys for schools in East Aurora and East Joliet and new books for every fourth- and fifth-grader in East Aurora schools.

“We try to do at least one thing once a month,” Morse said.

Other projects have included serving as a sponsor of the Alzheimer's Walk and collecting coats, baby clothes, school supplies and used hearing aids and eye glasses for various charities. Resident participation is good, Morse said.

“Helping others brings joy back to the residents,” she said. “There are lots and lots of things to do.”

Choice to volunteer

At Villa St. Benedict, a Catholic retirement community in Lisle, when new residents meet with staff, they are told about opportunities to do volunteer work.

“It's not something we require,” said Kelly Cox, director of resident services. “A lot of seniors are looking to remain active. They want to volunteer.”

Cox estimated that 75 of the community's 215 residents in independent living, assisted living and memory care volunteer inside or outside the community.

“They're meeting new people and making new friends. It keeps them vibrant,” she said.

Joe Ryan, 88, a former Naperville resident who moved to Villa St. Benedict 3½ years ago, continued the volunteer work he has done at Edward Hospital in Naperville for 16 years. He goes every Thursday and used to volunteer two days a week.

“I enjoy visiting with people,” he said. “I lost my wife in May and need to associate with people.”

Tish Eller, director of volunteer services at Edward Hospital, said 80 percent of the hospital's 600 adult volunteers are retirees like Ryan.

“He's a wonderful man,” Eller said of Ryan. “He's very generous with his time. Always has a smile on his face. He's willing to help wherever he can.”

Betty Krupp and her husband, Ronald, moved from their home in Clarendon Hills to Villa St. Benedict five years ago and spend much of their time in volunteer work.

“It's allowed my husband and I to increase our volunteer time because we're not taking care of a house anymore,” she said.

The couple volunteer regularly at Lambs Farm, where their daughter, Karen, lives and for Special Olympics. They also became involved with Operation Support Our Troops several years ago and Krupp now serves as the organization's vice president. She estimated she spends 300 hours a year representing the organization, working on special events and helping to pack care packages to send to troops overseas.

“I don't have anyone serving in the military at this time,” she said. “I just have a very large spot in my heart for the military and what they do for us.”

Their volunteer work doesn't leave much time for just sticking around home, Krupp, 74, admitted. She gets up in each morning knowing she has somewhere to go and something to do.

“I just can't imagine myself not volunteering,” she said. “I'd probably be sitting around my apartment and doing things not as satisfying.”