Omni dinner could steal your heart away

Community Caregivers hosted the 17th annual “Italian Night at the Omni” dinner on Saturday, March 10.  The event was attended by 55 residents of the Omni Senior Living Community, which is located on Carman Road in Guilderland.

The dinner was sponsored by Community Caregivers, a not-for-profit organization based in Guilderland, that provides non-medical services to Albany County residents by matching local volunteers with nearby clients. The Community Caregivers’ office is located at 2021 Western Ave. in Guilderland.

Mary Therriault, one of the original co-founders of Community Caregivers in 1994, kicked off the evening by welcoming those in attendance. She talked about the types of services that the organization offers to its clients, and the ongoing need for new volunteers to become involved.

The Omni residents enjoyed a special Italian dinner, which was followed by an ice-cream dessert provided by Stewart’s. The complimentary meal was due to the several local restaurants that partnered with Community Caregivers, generously donating most of the food.  

The seniors were served by several Guilderland High School students, as well as other volunteers and Caregivers’ staff in attendance. Also on hand were two fourth-year medical students from Albany Medical College, Ryan Chan and Nicholas Ridout, who volunteered their time and expertise at an information table set up in the lobby. They handed out pamphlets on the various wellness services in the Albany area, and throughout the evening were available to answer any health-related questions.

This year’s theme was in celebration of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, as the tables had appropriate centerpieces and the community room had a holiday tree decorated in green and all things Irish. A special highlight of the evening was when Omni resident Rose Lundgren led everyone in a group sing-along of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”

After the dessert was served, the fun continued as those in attendance hoped to hear their names called to be lucky recipients of the many random raffle prizes handed out by the student volunteers. Some had the “luck of the Irish” on their side and took home a prize, but everyone agreed that they still had a winningly great time either way.

A special thank-you is in order to all 17 volunteers who participated, including local high school students Barbara Barros; Stacey Prigorodova; Jie Weng; and Seren Takezaki, an exchange student from Japan.  Thank you again to medical students Ryan Chan and Nicholas Ridout, who volunteered their time.

The Caregivers office staff on hand included, Mary Morrison, Petra Malitz, and Acting Executive Director Larry Miller.  Community Caregivers volunteers also involved were Tom Morrison, Andrea and Frank Saragaglia, Mary Therriault, and Sandra and Nellie and Greg Goutos.

As she has been for the past several years, Mary McGann, a resident at the Omni, was instrumental in coordinating the many details to ensure that the event went smoothly.

Most of the food for the dinner was donated by local restaurants, with thanks to Bountiful Bread, and The 99 Restaurant. Also, thank you to Stewart’s for its contribution of the ice cream sundaes for dessert.  

Raffle prizes were generously donated by local businesses, including, Robinson’s Hardware, Candy Kraft, The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Pizza Gram Plus, Carman Wine & Liquor, A New Way Bakery & Café, Marotta’s Towne Pizza, A Different Blend Bakery, and the Bamboo Chinese Restaurant.

Also contributing were The Altamont Enterprise, Price Chopper/Market 32, and Hannaford. St. Matthew’s Church in Voorheesville, along with Altamont Reformed Church, also supported the event.  A special acknowledgement is in order to the several board members and staff members, who supported the event with either their time or by their financial contributions toward some of the food and raffle items.

For more information about Community Caregivers, please contact the office by phone at 518-456-2898, or online at communitycaregivers.org.

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