Edwards has gone forth with boldness to serve others

Why volunteer?

Joel Edwards says it’s a way to put his faith in action.

Joel’s first assignment from Community Caregivers was to pick up a sample of urine at 6 a.m. and deliver it to a doctor’s office. The woman lived alone, Joel recalls, and she didn’t drive.

As a doctor of veterinary internal medicine with a specialty in cardiology, he volunteered around his job. Finding time to volunteer, he said, “…wasn’t easy. The administrative part was ‘schedulable’; the service part was weekends and early morning.”

Joel’s connection to Caregivers started in 1993 when he and a friend of his wife, Cindy, Mary Therriault, were exploring ways to put their faith in action. Joel said, “I stumbled across an Interfaith Caregivers Program.”

Robert Wood Johnson was trying to establish units of caregiving throughout the country. So the next two years, 1994 to 1996  saw an organization forming — Community Caregivers. And it began providing services in 1996.

In the early years, an organizing committee was formed; 10 people were handpicked — ministers, nurses, people in the community who had gifts and the desire. They were connected through the four (at the time) churches in Altamont, Joel explained.

When asked how he recruited people to become volunteers, Joel said that the group went to churches and civic organizations like the Lions, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion — “anyone who would listen to us.” He said, “Nowadays, when I’m talking with someone, I’ll just ask them to consider volunteering.”

Joel himself has performed administrative services: a founder, twice president of the board of directors, treasurer, and chairman of the Grant Team. Direct services he’s provided include transportation, respite care, visits, and some home repair.

“It doesn’t matter what I do,” he said. “Having the ability to give back is what’s important.” He did say transportation, “volume-wise” was the service he spent the most time on.

“Visiting,” another service Caregivers provides, “is,” he said, “a  different relationship with the care receiver. In a way, it’s more rewarding. You get to listen to the person’s story.” He explained that folks who receive visits are usually alone, not able to socialize, and not having an adequate social life.

“You realize,” he observed, “you’re just a little piece of the puzzle; you’re not going to fix it.”

When asked for a memorable experience from all his years of connection to Caregivers, Joel told this story. Early in 1994, when Caregivers was organizing, he was driving on the Taconic, “…feeling overwhelmed, mumbling away. Out of my radio came, ‘Go forth with boldness.’ I reached down to shut off the radio, and it was already off.”

Ever since, Joel has done exactly that. He is no longer on the administrative end of Caregivers, but he is still on the service end. Joel says, “The aging population is increasing. There is a socio-economic stress of, often, both adults working. And our families aren’t near. We need volunteers. We always need more volunteers.”

Joel says, “One of the beauties of the organization is you can freely say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ No guilt. Trust me, they will call again.”

As you begin to think about what goals you have for the new year, why not consider finding out more about community Caregivers? Go online to www.communitycaregivers.org, or  call the office at (518) 456-2898 to inquire about an orientation. Or talk to Joel Edwards. He knows a lot.