Volunteers are the unsung heroes of our communities. They do work, covering the details and going above and beyond to help out, all without getting a dime in return. They are the deliverers of meals, the companions, the builders of houses, and cleaners of parks. It’s about time we showed them some respect, don’t you think?
Rittenhouse Senior Living of Valparaiso thought so, and during National Volunteer Week they held a special luncheon to recognize the hard work that comes from the volunteers in Porter County.
“We’ve hosted this lunch for many years to thank our volunteers,” Natalie Reisen, Marketing Director for Rittenhouse of Valpo said. “Our staff made the lunch for them and we’ll have door prizes and give aways ad other things for our volunteers.”
Life Care Centers of Valparaiso partnered with Rittenhouse of Valpo to make this lunch happen. They both have many volunteers who come through their doors every day so it’s is very important to give back to the people who give so freely to them.
“I have so many volunteers who come into my facility and they are all over the community so thanking them is important to us,” Cathy Ellis, Marketing Director at Life Care Centers of Valparaiso said. Men and women from all over Porter County gathered for the lunch that was prepared by the Rittenhouse kitchen staff. They happily dined on fresh fruit, sandwiches, pasta salad, candy, and cake.
Judy Bornstein, volunteer with the VNA of Porter County, Rittenhouse, her church, and in her neighborhood, sat and ate with her peers. She has been a volunteer for a number of years. “I volunteer because of the blessings that it brings me,” she said. “I try to do it four or five days a week. It’s just something that I feel that I’m meant to do.”
Bornstein and others have the mentality that volunteering is not work. It’s a privilege that each one looks forward to everyday. They make friends, help people, and get major satisfaction out of being able to just give.
“Getting recognized feels good,” Bornstein said. “I get so much out of this and everyone that I work with is like family to me so they may think that they are getting a lot having us around, but we volunteers really get more.”
