GHS honors students tell Omni seniors: You are the stars

Community Caregivers hosted a special Italian-style dinner for the residents of the Omni Senior Living Community on Carman Road in Guilderland on March 19.  The community room was filled with smiles and laughter, as the residents gathered for this annual event.

This was the 15th year the event has been held, and this year students from the Guilderland High School National Honor Society were on hand to help serve the dinner.  Over 60 residents from the Omni attended.

The event was sponsored by Community Caregivers, a Guilderland-based, not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services to Albany County residents by matching local volunteers with nearby clients.   

The community room was decorated to reflect the theme for this year’s dinner, which was “You Are the Stars.”  Over the years, there has developed a great fondness between those who have helped organize and serve the dinner, and the many residents of the Omni who look forward to attending it year after year.

Many comment that it is one of the highlights of the year for those at the Omni.  This year’s theme echoed the feeling that the seniors are truly stars in the eyes of the event organizers; however, the appreciation for those involved with sponsoring the dinner is also very evident.

The evening began with welcoming comments, and then a brief overview of the types of services and programs that Community Caregivers offers.  It was noted that several in attendance have either served as volunteer providers for the organization, or as clients that receive direct services.  Community Caregivers was founded in Altamont in 1994, and has offices located at 2021 Western Ave. in Guilderland.Altamont in 1994, and has offices located at 2021 Western Ave. in Guilderland.

A special highlight of the evening was celebrating the tremendous efforts of the Quinn family who have organized all the details for the event for many years.  The Guilderland family has been involved with the dinner for more than 10 years, and parents Suzanne and Kevin have inspired their two teenage boys to take the lead during that time.

Sean and Conor have developed into truly remarkable young men who are shining as examples of what it means to serve as volunteers in their community.  Since Sean will soon be graduating from Guilderland High School and going off to college, Community Caregivers wanted to take this opportunity to thank them by presenting both Sean and Conor with framed certificates of appreciation.  As the two were congratulated when receiving their honors, those in attendance enthusiastically applauded as they recalled watching them both grow up over the years.

After the dessert was served, the evening’s festivities continued with the random drawing of prizes, all of which were donated by local businesses.  Excitement was in the air as the lucky recipients waited to hear if their names would be called, and to enjoy a gift presented to them by one the members of the National Honor Society.  Others at their tables were fortunate to take home the centerpiece vases, which were filled with decorative stars attached to flower stems to reflect the theme of the event.

A special thank-you goes to the 13 volunteers who participated, including student, Sean and Conor Quinn, Alec Betancourt, Jason Falvo, James Gray, Hayli Bazan, Catherine Seita, and Mohona Sengupta.  Adult volunteers included Suzanne and Kevin Quinn, and Nellie and Greg Goutos.  Mary McGann, a resident of the Omni, deserves special recognition for once again serving as the site coordinator.

All the food for the dinner was generously donated by several area restaurants.  Special thanks to:  The 99 Restaurant on Wolf Road, Bountiful Bread, Ciao Italia Restaurant, Paesan’s Pizza, TGI Fridays, Milano Pizza, Via Fresca Italian Gourmet Market, and Marotta’s Towne Pizza.  Also, Price Chopper, ShopRite and Hannaford Supermarkets.  And to Stewart’s for donating the ice cream for dessert.

Prizes were donated by the following local businesses:  Carman Wine & Liquor, Candy Kraft, Robinson’s Hardware, The Pottery Place, Bamboo Restaurant, and The Altamont Enterprise.

For more information about Community Caregivers, please contact the office at 456-2898, or online at communitycaregivers.org.

Editor’s note: Greg Goutos is a longtime Community Caregivers volunteer.