Volunteer Recognition Day is on April 20 and the Sun wanted to highlight your volunteer stories! If you have a special volunteer or organization you would like to acknowledge or would like to share your story, send us your story to news@haddonfieldsun.com. Here were the stories we received so far:
Submitted by Dory Mann, Director of Senior Services in Haddonfield
I would like to suggest Bill Brown as a super volunteer. I think Bill, for the past almost 15 years, has volunteered in one way or another for our senior citizens at the Mabel Kay House.
He is always so greatly involved, whether it be setting up programs as our program chairman to grilling hamburgers for our large outdoor picnics to setting up tables for our annual dinners. If no one raises a hand to assist, Bill comes forward.
But the most important fact is that he does this all with grace and a smile. Bill helps out around town with many organizations like:
Mabel Kay Senior Center
At the center Bill is a member of the advisory board and takes part in planning the events that are held there. He also obtains guest speakers for our Friday gatherings. Bill takes part in working at the special event luncheons and picnics by setting up and serving the food as well as working in the kitchen.
Friends of the Indian King Tavern
Bill is on the board of directors with this organization. He created and implemented the town criers, which promote local happenings on the weekends in Haddonfield. While not a crier himself, he schedules the days and times, produces the flyers that are passed out and sees to them getting to the criers.
Bill recently produced a video production for the tavern providing an on line tour of the facility for those in school or at home. The purpose is to generate the interest for locals as well as others to stop in and see the tavern for themselves. He was also instrumental in helping to organize the beer tasting at the tavern, which has become an annual event.
Haddonfield Japanese Exchange
Bill created this program in 2006 and continues as the director since. This program sends Haddonfield teens to Japan for two-week visits during the summer on alternating years. This year being an alternating year, Bill will coordinate the hosting of 20 Japanese guests for two weeks in town. Bill along with his committee members first plans the schedule, recruits host families, and most importantly raises the funds for the activities. Bill solicits donations from corporations as well as service organizations but the majority of funds are raised during a Sake and Sushi Party and Auction held in June. Bill takes part in most of the activities coordinating all aspects of the daily trips.
In the years that Haddonfield students visit Japan, Bill is involved in the recruiting of the students, the selection process, the preparation of the students with classes on culture and language, the procuring of the best airfares, and arranging for transportation to and from the airport.
Haddonfield 65 Club
Bill served as president for two terms and was responsible for obtaining guest speakers for the weekly meetings.
He now is involved with arranging trips for the organization. Currently he is producing a video for the clubs 60th Anniversary.
Submitted by Dolores Barker
After I retired, volunteering became my occupation. What a joy it has been! I have met so many interesting people that I would not have met otherwise. For the past 22 years I have been a volunteer at Interfaith Caregivers. During that time I have worn many hats — chairman of the Public Relations committee, two terms as president, and currently a driver and editor of the newsletter.
Once a week I also volunteer at the library where I check in and out books at the front desk. What a wonderful place to see people I don’t get to see elsewhere while providing a benefit to the community.
Also, once a week I man the reception desk at the Haddonfield United Methodist Church and read stories to students in the Bancroft School library. It is indeed true that volunteering brings more pleasure to the giver than the receiver. Try it!
Submitted by Mary Ann Bigelow, executive director of Interfaith Caregivers
What do our volunteers mean to Interfaith Caregivers? Everything!
They are the backbone of our organization and we could not fulfill our mission of facilitating independent living without their support.
In 2014, Interfaith Caregivers completed over 6,100 appointments. That is an average of 118 times a week we provided a service to one of our clients. Our staff of 3.5 people could not possibly fulfill this need.
truly feel we have the best volunteers. Not a day goes by without at least one client expressing their gratitude and describing our volunteers as wonderful and caring.
I want to publicly thank all of the incredible Interfaith Caregivers volunteers for sharing their time and talents. You make a difference every day right in your own community.
If I may quote a recent note we received from a client, “Without you I could not manage.”
Submitted by Kristin Redmond, recording secretary of Haddonfield Friends of the Library
The Haddonfield Friends of the Library support our library. We raise money through membership and our annual book sale that is returned to the library in the form of the summer reading program, downloadable book collections, furniture, speakers, staff development and many other ways every year. The Friends is a volunteer organization comprised of board members that run the Friends and the many, many volunteers that spend well over a thousand hours every year to prepare for and implement our book sale.
The annual book sale is our major fundraiser. We begin in early August with people that generously give their time to sort and pack boxes of books until mid-September. On the weekend of the book sale, which has become a three-day event, we have people that spend almost the entire weekend at the library, setting up tables, unpacking books, working the cashier tables, providing baked goods and then cleaning up everything on Sunday. We are so thankful for all of the generous people that support the Friends through time and monetary donations in order to continuously make The Haddonfield Public Library a better resource every year for our residents. Thank you for your continued support. Please contact us at hfol.org if you would like to join our great organization.
