On June 27th, Spring Creek Senior Partners (SCSP) hosted their annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon in the Brooklyn Sports Club’s (BSC) gymnasium. The joyous occasion transported attendees to Hawaii with its tropical theme, bright colors, and delicious food.

Every year the staff works hard to ensure the volunteers that their efforts are deeply appreciated. SCSP Director Ronald Jean, and his staff, Denise Ruiz the Spring Creek Towers Service Coordinator, Anya Buberman the Coordinator of Volunteers and Special Projects and others felt so indebted to their team. They presented the volunteers with beautiful speeches on how helpful they have been and provided them with gift bags and certificates.

The Meriam Webster Dictionary defines a volunteer as someone who freely undertakes a service—“to offer oneself.” We often take for granted the kindness of others because we are caught up in our effort to keep up with monetary responsibilities, such as earning money at work, paying for school and supplies for children, and other mundane tasks. But there are those who freely give their time to help others, particularly seniors who cannot perform certain tasks on their own. These are the individual who open up their hearts and arms to those who need it the most.

Spring Creek Senior Partners (SCSP) is a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community/Supportive Service Program (NORC/SSP), offering free services to Spring Creek Towers’ residents 60 years or older. There are a host of volunteers who help SCSP’s staff maintain contact with the wide array of seniors living in the community. Some volunteers file paperwork, allowing the staff to have more time for one-on-one meetings and contact with elderly residents. There are dedicated individuals who are on the phone for several hours as a Telephone Reassurance volunteer, contacting seniors to just see how they are feeling or if they need help making appointments.

Arlene Lokomowitz is a retired administrative assistant who wants to give back to the community. For about four years she has worked as a Telephone Reassurance volunteer for SCSP. “I think seniors need as much attention as they can get, and I thought volunteering is a good way to give them that help,” she said.

Lokomowitz is one of the many compassionate volunteers who often ask, “How can I help.” She makes sure that every senior’s voice is heard, and reassures them that they are cared for. Whether it is simply just saying “Hi,” to making sure the residents have setup important doctor’s appointments, no task is too small or large.

“The most rewarding feeling is hearing the happiness in their voices because I called. Sometimes they are feeling lonely, and knowing that my call brightened their day is really great,” Loko-mowitz said, a longtime SCT resident.

SCSP offers a senior companion volunteer program, which allows their team to have a more handson approach in helping older adults. The elderly are able to still lead their independent lives and have a buddy to go on walks with them or visit their home for a few days a week.

Mary Scott has been a volunteer for SCSP for about 14 years. At first she made reassurance calls, but in 2005 SCSP introduced the senior companion program. It was through this volunteer initiative that she was able to intertwine her experience as a retired Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Scott has always felt the need to assist others, and for over a decade she has worked to make the lives of dozens of seniors better. Sometimes she goes on trips to Coney Island with her senior companions, and other times she goes grocery shopping with them.

“As long as I can get seniors the help they really need, I feel satisfied,” Scott said. Scott sees the entire interaction as more than a few hours volunteering; it’s a bonding experience that transforms into a true friendship.

Scott distinctly remembers being a companion for Celia Howard, a woman who up until 99 years old independently cared for herself. Now Howard is 103 years old and stays at an assisted living facility. Scott still visits her, not as a volunteer companion, but as a good friend.

Photos by Amanda Moses