THINK SPRING!

As the snow has been piling up. Betty Brewer’s Angels volunteers have been thinking spring! But before I tell you what is coming up in March and April I wanted to share with you a phone call I received from an Activities Director at an assisted living facility this afternoon.  They desperately need two male volunteers to visit with two male residents. 

One of the residents has become blind in the last several years but he is very talkative and would love to have a visitor. The other gentleman is a history bluff and likes to play board games and would also benefit from visits from another male. As you know we only have male volunteers visit with male residents and female volunteers visit with female residents.  We need more volunteers, but more male volunteers in particular! If becoming a Betty Brewer's Angel volunteer is something you have been thinking about but have been putting off....now is the time to contact me.

Through the five years our volunteers have been visiting one on one with residents we have seen the miracle, yes they are miracles, of transformation in the lives of residents we visit. You would not think that an hourly visit once a week could make such a huge difference in someone's life, but it does.   

For our Spring Coffee on March 26, 2014 (9:30 am to 1:00pm) we will be attending Westminster Thurber Community’s  (http://westminsterthurber.org/) annual Tools for the Servant ©, event.  We are grateful to Westminster-Thurber for inviting us to join pastors and church leaders who enhance church’s older adult ministry.

This year’s topic is “How Can A Church Help Older Parishioners Manage Change?’   Joel Wrobbel will be speaking about “Understanding Emotional Health” and Patrick Rafter and Christine Stouffer will address ‘Changing Spaces for Better Living”.  Although Betty Brewer’s Angels is not affiliated with any one church, both of these topics are of interest to our volunteers as we visit residents of long-term-care-facilities which helps them adjust to their new living environments.

After the presentations, a delicious lunch is served to the attendees.  This is always an excellent opportunity to meet people in Ohio who work so diligently on behalf of older adults.

Even if you are not a Betty Brewer’s Angels volunteer and would like to attend, we will be happy to have you join us at The Tools for the Servant © event as our guest.  No charge to you to experience what is always a great workshop.  Just contact me by March 13^th so I can reserve your spot.

April: A new event on our calendar for this year is a Volunteer Potluck being held on April 25^th at 1 pm. The people of  Ironwood Club House located off of East Broad Street (near Mt. Carmel East hospital) have graciously offered to rent their Clubhouse for this event.   Our volunteers love to exchange ideas and give encouragement to each other. We learn so much from these types of conversations and by the way, laugh so much!   This will be a very informal event with no guest speakers.  Just bring food to share. Betty Brewer’s Angels will provide drinks and place settings.   Once again guests are welcome (and you do not even have to bring food J). Just let me know if you will be attending by April 7^th so we will have enough for everyone. Come join us and learn firsthand from our volunteers the rewards of being a Betty Brewer’s Angels Volunteer.

        If you are interested in hearing more about the work Betty Brewer’s Angels do or are interested in being a part of our volunteering team, please contact me, Cheryl, at 614-309-4677.