Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition

2008 Volunteer Recognition Dinner

The annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner was held on Thursday, May 1, 2008 at The Virginia Home in conjunction with National Volunteer Week.  Approximately 115 volunteers attended the event, along with 20 staff members who were on hand to make our guests feel welcomed and to assist with the festivities.  A delicious and bountiful buffet dinner prepared by our own Dietary department was served, complete with scrumptious desserts and homemade fortune cookies with personal notes of thanks from residents tucked inside.  Entertainment was provided by The Standards Quartet, who played live jazz during the meal.  After dinner, guests were treated to a very special feature—the debut of the first episdode of Stoneridge Falls —an original soap opera in four parts .  This Virginia Home productions was written by residents Al Allen and Reese Fleece and stars the residents and staff of The Virginia Home.

Following the entertainment, Sherry Williams, Director of Volunteer Services, recognized the volunteers for their outstanding service in 2007 and congratulated them for succeeding in her challenge from the previous year to "kick it up a notch."  Phyllis Galanti, President of the Board of Trustees, presented the award for Volunteer of the Year to Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.  Certificates of appreciation were distributed to individuals and groups, and everyone in attendance received a canvas folding chair embroidered with the TVH logo.  Many thanks to everyone who joined us in celebration of our volunteers, and to the staff that worked so hard to make this a very special evening.

Four volunteers were also recognized for qualifying for the President's Volunteer Service Award - Bronze Level.  They are Bunny Addison, Wendy Gibson, Ellen Ryan, and Louise Seiler.

Recent Volunteers of the Year

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart - 2008

Ellen Ryan - 2007

Jerry McCall - 2006

Murdoch & Musselwhite - 2005

2008 - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

Cathedral serves as the Mother Church of the Diocese of Richmond, and Father Patrick Golden is currently the rector.  Their Eucharistic ministry provides holy communion to hundreds of sick and disabled Richmonders each week, including the residents of The Virginia Home.  In fact, Cathedral is the only parish that currently brings worship and observance opportunities directly to our catholic population.

Volunteers from Cathedral—such as Don & Loraine Tracy, Lynn & Donna Newcomb, and Stacy Thomas—visit The Home each Sunday afternoon to offer holy communion, while parishioner Ann Mayes provides thoughtful, creative weekly services during Lent.  Pat and Barry Wilhite coordinate these services, as well as a quarterly mass for The Home which is usually led by Father Golden.

Cathedral’s involvement with The Home is not limited to divine matters.  Parishioners contributed over $650 to the last Aquathon and took the time to come cheer on the swimmers.  We truly consider it our good fortune to be considered a part of Cathedral’s flock, and we are grateful to them for playing an important part in the spiritual and physical well-being of our residents.

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2007 - Ellen Ryan

Ellen has been volunteering at The Virginia Home since January 2006, and since then she has consistently epitomized the role of dedicated volunteer.  She spends more than 5 hours per week enabling our residents to express themselves creatively in “Open Shop” every Tuesday and Thursday.  She has taken an old activity that involved painting simple ceramics and wood pieces to a whole new level that includes mosaics, glass etching, and needlework.

Ellen recognizes there is a deep need among our residents to be actively involved in meaningful leisure activities which improve their quality of life.  Her background in early childhood education allows her to evaluate a resident’s ability to participate in an activity and the level of assistance required.  Her attitude is best described as looking beyond one’s obstacles and discovering his or her unique abilities through art.  Jody Young, Director of Recreation Therapy says of Ellen, “Her skills reflect that of a seasoned staff member, and she can be relied on for effective leadership.”

After receiving her award, Ellen was quick to praise the staff with whom she works, stating “The therapists make Open Shop a relaxing, welcoming, and fun experience for everyone.”  Further revealing her caring spirit, she also added, “I think perhaps you should consider a special thank you to the residents from the volunteers for allowing us to visit and for enriching our lives.”  We are grateful to Ellen for her devotion to our residents and for the hours of dedicated service she provided in 2006!

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2006 -  Jerry McCall
Jerry has been a volunteer at The Virginia Home since November 2004, and he has since become an indispensable member of our team and a tremendous asset to the volunteer services department.  Like clockwork, Jerry is here every morning, Monday through Thursday, at 8:55 AM and works to 2:30 or until the job is done.  When Jerry is around, magical things indeed do happen…resident mail gets sorted, name tags are pressed into new clothing, residents move between the lobby and therapy departments in a flash, banking transactions are witnessed, tables are set up for Bridge on Thursdays, and Callie the cat receives breakfast in a can.

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2005 – Sam Murdock & Pat Musselwhite
This dynamic duo started out almost a decade ago when Pat Musselwhite recruited his long-time friend, Sam Murdock, to join him in volunteering at The Home. Since 1996, Sam, Pat and their growing entourage have entertained and inspired our residents by sharing their love of music.  Their involvement in Virginia Home functions has steadily grown to the point where some of our favorite parties would just not be the same without them.

Pat and Same spin disks and DJ at the annual Christmas Party and make always our annual Halloween Bash a night to remember.  On occasion, Elvis even makes a uncommon appearance when these guys are in the building. In addition to these very special annual events, Pat and Sam also volunteer one Saturday every other month to spend time with the residents and work their musical magic.

These two gentlemen have always gone above and beyond what we would ask of a volunteer.  Through their compassion and dedication, they personify the volunteer spirit in which The Virginia Home was founded.