It appears spring has finally arrived and area golfers are back in full swing.
Community Caregivers’ 11th annual golf outing (wow, has it really been that long?) will be held on
Monday, June 15, at Orchard Creek Golf Course in Altamont.
This year’s sponsors for the event include: Adirondack Environmental Systems Inc., Albany Medical Center, Blasch Precision Ceramics, the State Employees Federal Credit Union, and Wells Fargo Advisors.
We welcome back last year’s golfers — and many of you who have faithfully played faithfully over the past 10 years. And new golfers are always welcome. The format is a scramble with three divisions (men’s, women’s & and mixed). and This year, we will be using a team handicap.
The day is filled with great food, and skill contests (we have a new one this year — Use the Pro’s Drive on a Par 5). We also have along with many great drawing prizes and a silent auction featuring golf for four with carts at Pinehaven Country Club, Albany Country Club, Orchard Creek Golf Course, and Colonie Country Club.
This year, the live auction also includes along with a clubhouse box on the finish line for the Saratoga meet. Price per player is $145, which includes driving range, golf, carts, lunch, cocktail party,, and dinner. Tee boxes are still available.
Invitations are in the mailout. They and are also available on the website (www.communitycaregivers.org) or and at the Community Caregivers office located at 2021 Western Ave. For additional information, please call Petra @ at 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Regina DuBois is the event chairwoman for the Community Caregivers’ 11th annual golf outing.
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If you have 100 volunteers and 100 clients, why would you need more volunteers?
First of all, we have more of both, but, to be able to help everyone who makes a request, according to Mary Morrison, the Caregivers’ Transportation Coordinator, there should be a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 ratio of volunteers to clients in order to be in a healthy situation. This is all by way of saying that more drivers, in particular, are needed to meet the increasing requests for transportation.
Mary cited one example that is recurring more and more frequently: “The hospital called and they need to see me tomorrow,” the client says. Mary went on, “She could be readmitted if she couldn’t make the appointment. We don’t want to say no.”
Caregivers does everything it can to honor the volunteers’ choice of assignments and times available. Clients, too, have a timeframe they need to observe when making requests. But, as Mary said, clients are asking for services the next day. That puts a strain on the driver pool.
Linda Miller, Outreach and Education coordinator, added another piece to the picture. “As a volunteer, you want to feel connected but not get burned out,” she said.
Both Mary and Linda emphasize that we don’t want to make our volunteers feel guilt if they have to say “no.” It makes sense, then, that the more volunteers you have the more you can prevent burnout and guilt.
The staff does everything it can to schedule volunteers and clients from the same area. The staff provides volunteers with important information to help the volunteer perform the service successfully, even providing directions. Mary said she has actually driven some routes so she can give good directions to the volunteer.
The next orientation is April 30 at 10 a.m. at the Caregivers’ office at 2021 Western Ave., Suite 104, in Guilderland. Please consider becoming a volunteer driver. Your generosity of time would be valued and honored.
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There’s an ad on TV that shows a woman scurrying around her kitchen and saying, “When I started having back pain, my sister came to help. I don’t like asking for help.”
Most people don’t. As we grow older, in particular, the need for help increases and that’s a direct challenge to maintaining independence.
I talked with Sue Griffiths, Community Caregivers’ intake coordinator, about helping people ask for help. Sue said, “It’s a cultural thing, I think. We’re used to helping ourselves, being independent. We don’t ask for help, perhaps, out of fear, out of feeling inadequate, or maybe a person is just too independent.”
Sue urges families to have a conversation to address how life is changing. Grown children become part of the “sandwich generation,” and they may need to say, “I’m having a hard time worrying about you, too.”
Another scenario has a spouse who needs help but he or she needs to combat the, “It’s my job, my responsibility” thinking.
“Some people,” Sue says, “have a huge support system.”
I know such a family. The mom and dad need help. They live near one son and his family. That son does dishes every night. His wife prepares dinner every night. Doctor appointments are handled by other siblings who don’t live so near, yet near enough to plan for the extra driving for medical appointments.
Sue adds, though, “Other people have no one.
“The gift of asking for help is giving another individual the opportunity to be generous with their time and talents, “ Sue points out.
This is all food for thought. When you need to reach out, Community Caregivers could be there for you. The reason we always want to increase our volunteer pool is so we can help people maintain their independence as long as possible. And that means helping families, too.
April orientation sessions have been scheduled for the 14th at noon, and the 30th at 10 a.m. at the Caregivers’ office on Western Avenue.
Before my conversation with Sue ended, she asked me to share this: “Community Caregivers is a no-guilt operation. Even an hour a month would be a gift.” More food for thought.
Please call the office at 456-2898 if you’d like to do an orientation. It takes one hour.
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Wrappers: Girls in Troop 1308 — Bella Perrotto, Lauren Savage, Catherine Thibault, Clara Hollands, Jane McKillop, Izzy Brusic, and Erin Mash — pause in their gift-wrapping duties to pose for a picture. Behind them is Lauri Mendelson who allowed them to raise funds by wrapping Christmas gifts at The Paper Mill’s Hallmark store in Delaware Plaza.
All smiles: Lauren Savage, at far right, displays a check Girl Scout Troop 1308 presented to Community Caregivers, raised through wrapping gifts. Posing with her around s sign bout the not-for-profit group, are, from left, Izzy Brysic, Clara Hollands, Jana McKillop, Erin Mash, Macey Bryant, Bella Penotto, and Mia Oppy. Catherine Thibault is missing from the picture.
The nine girls of Girl Scout Troop 1308 decided to raise money to help the elderly. They researched not-for-profits in the Capital District who did this and chose Community Caregivers because it was local.
It was near Christmas and they decided they could wrap gifts. Lauri Mendelson at The Paper Mill’s Hallmark store in Delaware Plaza allowed them to set up a gift-wrapping station and donated the gift wrap. The girls put up signs and told their friends and family, and their troop leader put the info on Facebook.
The girls wrapped gifts for four hours. They told me some people brought in whole boxes of gifts to be wrapped. At the end of the day, they had made $120.50. On Monday, Feb. 23, I met the girls and their leaders — Laura Savage, Jennifer Hollands, and Mary McKillop — to accept the check and tell them about Community Caregivers.
After my presentation on what Caregivers does to support the elderly people in our community, we talked some about ways elderly people might need help. The girls thought about elderly neighbors they know and grandparents or great-grandparents and their needs.
Their ideas included helping feed pets, shoveling driveways, vacuuming, doing dishes, folding laundry, making beds, writing letters, and making cards to send happy thoughts. They assured me they could do all these things.
Caregivers, however, does not have a program for kids unless they work with their parents and then their parents would have to become volunteers. We left it that I’d talk with the staff to identify clients for whom the troop could write letters and make cards. I’ll let you know what the follow-up is.
Caregivers could speak to your organization about our services and volunteer opportunities. Call us at 456-2898 for more information.
The last orientation for March is Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m. at our offices at 2021 Western Ave. Calling ahead is advised so we have materials for you.
The Memory Loss Support group meets next on Thursday, March 18, at 1 p.m. at Christ the King Church on Sumpter Avenue in Guilderland.
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— Photo by Greg Goutos
Brothers in service: Conor and Sean Quinn, members of the Guilderland High School Key Club, organized the Valentine’s dinner for residents of the Omni Senior Living Community.
— Photo by Greg Goutos
Musician lauded: Omni resident Jean Qualantone shares her appreciation with Tyler Mazone, who played the clarinet at the Community Caregivers’ Valentine’s celebration for Omni residents.
— Photo by Greg Goutos
Lucky winner: Dale Duncan happily receives a raffle prize from Katie Yang of Key Club.
Community Caregivers celebrated the spirit of Valentine’s Day by holding a special dinner for the residents of the Omni Senior Living Community on Carman Road in Guilderland. The 14th Annual Italian Night was held on Feb. 13.
The event was sponsored by Community Caregivers, a Guilderland-based not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services to Albany County clients through the help of local volunteers. Members of the Guilderland High School Key Club were also on hand to assist with the dinner.
More than 50 residents enjoyed an evening of good food and fun festivities, as the Omni community room was decorated with flowers and hearts to reflect the Valentine’s Day theme. Young students of the Guilderland Martial Arts studio made handcrafted Valentine’s cards for the seniors to keep.
All the food was donated by several local restaurants, and many in attendance won door prizes that were generously provided by area businesses.
The evening began with a brief overview of the types of services and programs offered by Community Caregivers, which recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its founding.
During the dinner, the residents were truly enthralled by the musical talents of Guilderland sophomore Tyler Mazone, who played a rousing solo edition of “The Star Spangled Banner” on the clarinet. After several more songs, the evening concluded with members of the Key Club drawing the winning names of the lucky recipients of the prizes. This special intergenerational event was enjoyed by all in attendance.
Fourteen volunteers participated, including students, Sean and Conor Quinn, Katie Yang, Aurora Trainor, Tyler Mazone, Lindsey Garrant, Naomi Carter, and Kate Cotten. Others who helped were: Suzanne and Kevin Quinn; Nellie and Greg Goutos; and Kolya Wirth, an exchange student from Germany. Also, a special thank you to Mary McGann, an Omni resident who served as the site coordinator this year.
Community Caregivers greatly appreciates the generosity of the following area restaurants whose donations made this year’s event possible: Tesoro Italian Restaurant, Marisa’s Place, Ciao Italia Ristorante, Via Fresca, Café Calabria, Barcelona Restaurant, Bountiful Bread, Paesan’s Pizza, The 99 Restaurant, and TGI Fridays. Also, thanks to Stewart’s for donating the ice cream for dessert.
The Valentine’s Day flowers were donated by Emil J. Nagengast Florist. Supplies were donated by BJ’s Wholesale Club, Hannaford and Price Chopper, with special thanks to Valerie King. Prizes to be drawn were generously provided by: Robinson’s Hardware, Carman Wine and Liquor, The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, The Pottery Place, Candy Kraft, Capital City Diner, Maggie’s Cafe, and The Altamont Enterprise.
Community Caregivers once again wishes to express its deep appreciation to the Quinn family of Guilderland, whose members spend countless hours organizing the annual dinner, as they have done for the past several years. Sean and Conor Quinn, both Guilderland High school students involved with Key Club, have taken the lead in coordinating every aspect of this event. They truly deserve all the credit for making the evening the success that it has become.
For more information about Community Caregivers, please contact the office at 456-2898, or go online to www.communitycaregivers.org.
Editor’s note: Greg Goutos is a volunteer with the Community Caregivers.
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In 2012, Community Caregivers started providing services in Albany. The services primarily include transporting people from two food pantries to their homes.
The rides are mostly short and performed within a two- to three-hour time period. Sometimes more than one person can be transported at a time.
We started this service in the Mater Christi Parish and added the St. Vincent’s Food Pantry in 2014. To date, 144 folks have had help getting their groceries home.
Caregivers has a pool of 24 drivers who have signed up for these assignments. At the St. Vincent’s Food Pantry, the volunteer is called for the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.; often, only one driver is needed but the pool consists of 10 people.
At Mater Christi, the volunteer is called for the first and third Mondays. The hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the volunteers work in two-hour shifts. Fourteen people are in this pool. Most rides are within a small distance from the food pantry and folks give you directions.
So, if you’re interested in helping people in the Mater Christi Parish, you could choose a 9-to-11 or an 11-to-1 time frame. You could say to the Caregivers’ scheduler, for example, “I’m available for the 9-to-11 shift on the first Monday of the month.”
As a volunteer you can fit the services to your schedule, and you can always change your mind. That’s the beauty of having a pool of volunteers.
At Community Caregivers, there are a number of ways you can help your neighbors. Transportation remains the most requested service. If driving’s not your thing, shopping for groceries, making assurance calls, visiting with a client, helping with paperwork or teaching someone how to operate one of these modern IT gadgets are other options.
All volunteers go through an orientation, have Department of Motor Vehicle checks, and are asked for two references. The next orientations are Thursday, March 12, at 8 a.m., and Monday, March 23, at 6 p.m. Call the office at 456-2898 to let them know you’d like to become involved. You won’t regret it.
The next Memory Loss group meets on Thursday, March 19, 1 p.m. in the music room at Christ the King Church at 20 Sumpter Ave. in Guilderland . Please call ahead if you plan to attend.
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It’s not often that I think about the ebb and flow of life, but it does cross my mind. We were at the Altamont Library Gala Saturday, and talking with people about their lives, how they are, their families, “catching up,” and, yes, inviting some of them to consider volunteering with Community Caregivers, when I was reminded of this concept.
Life goes along smoothly for a while. Then a health issue crops up. Family dynamics change. Children come and go. Then there’s another blip. Maybe parents start to need you more. Maybe your grown children start to need you more. There are lots of reasons why you can’t volunteer right now.
That same ebb and flow is, of course, true for our volunteers. For 20 years, people in the Caregivers’ service area have been volunteering to help people in their community deal with the ebb and flow of their lives.
But volunteers also need to drop out from time to time, some because they’re going on vacation, some because of an illness, some because family needs change. That’s exactly why we always need more volunteers. We need to keep replenishing that cadre so that the mission of helping people stay in their homes, remaining independent and in their community continues as long as possible.
So, if this is the right time for you, if this is a quiet time, a smooth time in the ebb and flow of your life, consider calling 456-2898 to sign up for an orientation. The next one is on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m. March dates are Thursday, the 12th, at 8 a.m. and Monday, the 23rd, at 6 p.m.
If you can't make any of the dates that are scheduled, you could call the office and talk with anyone about scheduling a session for you. Calling ahead is preferred because there are materials the staff likes to send out.
Also, just a reminder that the Memory Loss Support Group will meet on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. in the Music Room at Christ the King Church. You’d be welcome.
One Thursday a month at 1 p.m., registered nurse Sue Griffiths, Community Caregivers’ intake coordinator, hosts a group of men and women, mostly women, who have come together for support. Their spouse or parents have memory-loss issues.
The purpose of the group, according to the literature handed out to each new person, “is to offer caregiver support, information, resources, and socialization in a comfortable environment.”
In fact, that description is perfect.
Susan had invited me to come to a group session. The ages of the people varied. About half of the members were there because of their spouse and half because a parent, or parents, were experiencing memory issues.
They introduced themselves, and gave some background and an update of their particular situation. All listened carefully and added supportive comments or asked a question.
“Therapeutic lying” was a term they offered up as an important tool. They all seemed to know each other, though it was evident some were newer to having a loved one with memory loss than others.
The conversation didn’t really deal with why memory loss occurred. The focus was on how to help each other cope with what is a very painful, lonely, frustrating, and sad situation with someone you love.
Before the session concluded, one woman said to me, “You don’t always hear what you want to hear.”
Another woman said the group was “a great resource.”
One woman had a lanyard around her neck. I thought she had come from work where people have to wear these IDs. She said, “No. They’re my mother’s car keys so she won’t drive.”
As the hour ended, Sue wrapped up saying, “Call me if you need anything. I’ll see you next month.”
As I walked out to the parking lot, some of the women continued their talking. One said to me, “We help each other.”
Caregivers partners with the Alzheimer’s Association to host the meetings for which there is no charge. All meetings are open to the public and advanced registration is preferred but not required. Please call 456-2898 or email info@commujnitycaregivers.org if you’d like to attend.
Respite volunteers may be available but must be requested 10 days in advance. Meetings are on the third Thursday of the month in the music room at Christ the Kind Church at 20 Sumpter Ave. in Guilderland.
Just a reminder that orientation for new volunteers will be held on Feb. 11 at noon and Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. Call the office at the above number to let staff know you’d like to attend. The staff will send out materials prior to the meeting.
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As 2014 unwinds, we begin to look to a new year. But, before we end this one, here are some things Community Caregivers is grateful for:
— 1. Our staff who make the volunteer-client connection;
— 2. The over 200 volunteers who provide direct service and those who help in the office, serve on committees and on the board of directors;
— 3. The 105 businesses and people who made donations to the Gala fundraiser;
— 4. The 88 businesses and people who made donations to the golf tournament;
— 5. The ability to help people in our community who need us to take them to the doctors, help with grocery shopping, provide a human connection by phone or a friendly visit, pick up prescriptions.. — things a neighbor could do for a neighbor;
— 6. The 18 businesses that sponsored our events. Would your business like to join that group?
— 7. People who make donations, great and small, to Community Caregivers;
— 8. People who celebrate their loved ones by sending a donation "in honor of" or celebrate a birthday or just to help Community Caregivers; we are a not-for-profit;
— 9. The Guilderland and Bethlehem libraries for providing space for events;
— 10. Christ the King for providing space for Memory Loss meetings; and
— 11. The Altamont Enterprise for providing space for this column.
This list isn't exhaustive.
For the new year, Community Caregivers’ wish is to serve our community by providing our services to those who need us.
Our other wish is to increase the number of volunteers to do that . We serve all ages and there is no charge.
If you're interested in being part of the organization call us at 456-2898. Orientation schedules for January will be posted on our website and Facebook page within the week.
Add Community Caregivers to your "to do" list for 2015: volunteer, donate, call for help. Our website, www.communitycaregivers.org, provides information on our services and opportunities for volunteers. Happy holidays!
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As Community Caregivers celebrates its 20 years of helping folks remain independent, helping them stay in their homes and in their communities, it's important to say thanks to all the volunteers who make that happen.
In the last month and a half, I've had occasion to be at two Caregiver events: one was an informational session on nutrition with a nutritionist from ShopRite, and the other was the Community Day in September.
I remember thinking how generous these folks are to volunteer their time to help people in their community, their neighbors.
There are so many problems in the world. I have often felt I don't have the power, the strength, the talent, the "whatever" to make any difference at all.
But I can make a difference in my community. I can volunteer. I can make a difference here. And so can you.
In our community, there is no shortage of volunteer opportunities. Among the food pantries and the libraries and the fire departments and the hospitals and a host of other agencies, you can find a place that uses your talents and makes you feel like you can contribute.
So, give Community Caregivers some thought. It so happens there are two orientation sessions in December: on Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m. and Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. at the office at 2021 Western Ave. in Guilderland.
Volunteer opportunities include: visits, transportation, respite for caregivers, shopping assistance, prescription pick-up, telephone assurance calls, help with paperwork, and help with chores.
What would you feel comfortable doing? Importantly, the CC staff provides good directions for you.
Lastly, put Dec. 8 on your calendar. From 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Guilderland Public Library, there will be a program called "Staying Safe! Protecting Yourself from Common Scams and Fraud.” It's presented by the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York. It's free and co-sponsored by Caregivers and the Guilderland Public Library.
You've read and heard about scams recently. Come and find out about how to spot them, and tips for avoiding them. Call the office at 456-2898 or email: [email protected], or contact the Guilderland Public Library at 456-2400 to register.
Happy Thanksgiving. Caregivers is grateful for our volunteers. Consider being part of this care community.
Editor’s note: Judy Rothstein in on the Community Caregivers Board of Directors.