Being God's ears on earth

MILFORD — The motto at Belle Reve Care Center is “Your care, our purpose,” and their revamped volunteer program is another step to fulfill this promise. On Saturday, May 3, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Joan Edel, Activities Director, will be hosting an orientation for those interested in volunteering. “It will be a social gathering. I like to know the volunteers and their interests in order to pair them with the residents that they’ll be visiting,” Edel noted. Some of the volunteers will be assigned to residents to listen to their stories, being “God’s ears on earth.” While being a good listener during visitations is one of the areas for volunteers, there are several other activities that one can get involved with. The Activities Department offers a program for the residents called “Armchair Travel.” The residents get a tour of different countries via films and stories, and they can share their own memories of travel. Volunteers are welcome to assist with this program bringing ideas and film clips from their travels to share. Another program offered to the residents is “Recipe Reminisce,” which is sometimes held outdoors, weather permitting. The residents, staff, and volunteers exchange favorite old tried and true dishes. For those who have a passion for history, there is also “The Life and Times Of…” program that covers great heroes of history. For potential volunteers who are interested in physical activities, they also offer “Stretching” programs and volunteers can assist the staff. Why should you volunteer? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service relationship to humanity.” Volunteering offers many rewards. At Belle Reve, people get satisfaction from volunteering, gain a sense of personal achievement, meet new people and make new friends, and also get leadership training. Volunteering even helps one to find purpose and connect with his or her community, Edel believes. Jana Weiss has been a volunteer at Belle Reve for several years and says that she “loves it!” Whether being God’s ears on earth as a visitor or engaging in one of the many program offered, volunteering is a way to feel better about oneself by helping others. To paraphrase the words of Steve Allen, “Volunteering is good for the heart and the soul.”