The Van Praags volunteer because they enjoy helping people

The Van Praags, Art and Julianne, live in Clarksville. They’ve been volunteering for Community Caregivers since 2007. They’re one of nine wife-and-husband teams that make up the volunteer pool.

Julianne regularly, weekly, assists an elderly client who still likes to do her own shopping. “She’s visually impaired,” says Julianne, “and she lives by herself.”

In addition to the weekly shopping, Julianne also waters plants, writes greeting cards, sorts mail, and even cleans out the fridge when it needs it. Julianne says she gets “satisfaction” out of helping.

“It’s nice helping people,” she said. “They appreciate it; you just get a good feeling from doing it.”

Julianne said, when she first started volunteering, the first three people she provided service for passed away. It was discouraging. Fortunately, she didn’t give up.

Reflecting on the nine years she’s been volunteering, she says, “I’ve met great people, both clients and staff.” While Julianne has a regular assignment, she will accept others if Mary Morrison, the Client/Volunteer Coordinator, calls and she’s available.

Art Van Praag volunteers to “make people’s lives much easier.” He said, “Whatever day I sign up for is their day. The time is theirs.”

Art has an assignment every Thursday, but, if he’s available, he’d volunteer as much as he’s called. He says, “I hate to say ‘no’.” Art has no problem taking people grocery shopping, to the bank, to the hairdressers, clothes shopping, or to the doctors.

Both Art and Julianne came to Caregivers as a result of Susan Cable’s recommendation. Susan was a former executive assistant for Caregivers. They also read about the organization in The Enterprise.

Art enjoys being with people and helping others. He said, as a kid, he did “stuff to help neighbors — raking, putting up screens, shoveling snow.”

As he looks back over his life, he says his parents were good role models. Art says he enjoys meeting different people. At the same time, he also enjoys working with the same person.

“You get to know them,” he adds. He’s been working with the same clients for two, three, or four years.

His philosophy? “Instead of sitting in a chair, get out there and do something.”

Julianne said she’d encourage others to think about volunteering and could tell them about her experiences, which have been wonderful. “Volunteering,” she said, “is a good use of time.

Julianne and Art have two calendars and boards visible to each other so they keep their assignments straight. When I planned to interview this couple, I wondered if they ever got their calendars confused. In our house, confusion does reign sometimes because one of us doesn’t put a date on the calendar.  They are clearly organized.

When people sign up to become volunteers, one of the questions asked is how they heard about Community Caregivers. Frequent responses are reading about us in The Enterprise and hearing about us from a friend or other volunteers.

Julianne and Art hardly skipped a beat after they retired — Julianne from being a secretary at Clarksville Elementary School, and Art from the painting/wallpapering line. It’s probably not surprising to learn they’ve also volunteered with other agencies: the food pantries; the town of New Scotland; and Julianne, as an aide at Clarksville Elementary before her school closed.

New volunteers are always needed. People move, they go away on vacation, their lives change; they may even become clients. Consider helping your neighbors as Julianne and Art do.  You can choose your day or days, your time, and the kind of service you’d like to provide.

Volunteering is very much a part of the Van Praags’ lives. Make it a part of yours. Call the office at (518) 456-2898 when you’re ready to join the team.