BU-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 1, 2000
Idella Bender, activities director at the Goodwill Mennonite Home, Grantsville,
Maryland, knows the value of a volunteer. With their help, the Goodwill activities
department has a very successful crafts program which generates revenues for res
idents to do and have fun things.
Salute To Volunteers
GRANTSVILLE (Md.) - As
far as Idella Bender is con
cerned, you need look only for
the nearest volunteer to see
beauty being magnified.
In the activities department
at the Goodwill Mennonite
Home where she holds the posi
tion of director, Bender cites a
long list of good things done for
residents by volunteers.
‘The biggest thing for volun
teers is the social interaction,”
She says.
Elsie Schrock lives near
enough to the facility that on the
days she goes there to volunteer,
Schrock can walk from her
home.
“I’ve been volunteering for 10
years,” she said, smiling broadly.
I enjoy visiting with older peo
ple. It’s a real blessing.”
Mary Alice Skidmore who
spruces up and makes a charm
ing picture behind a small hill of
foam rubber she has snipped for
animal and doll stuffings, seems
to be likeminded.
Four years ago, when
Skidmore moved into the
Goodwill Retirement Village,
she too, joined the volunteer
ranks at the nursing facility.
I’m a walker,” she reports. T
enjoy it (volunteering) and feel it
is useful. I enjoy being with
patients and working with
them.”
Selfless individuals like
Schrock, Skidmore and numer
ous others are people who instill
value to the word “Volunteer.”
During April 9-15 - National
Volunteer Week - the Points of
Light Foundation puts volun
teers across the country in the
spotlight.
Recently, Bender’s poem enti
tled “Volunteers Magnify
Beauty” was published in
'Creative Forecasting,” a nation
al magazine for volunteers.
Shirley Teets, Bender’s assistant
director, submitted the piece
which rhythmically recounts by
name, the volunteers and what
they do at Goodwill Home.
What makes the volunteer so
special is the choice to serve. The
high schoolers coming to fulfill
community service require
ments may be an exception,
however, they deserve credit for
the significant contributions to
boost the residents’ morale.
Their natural vitality is stim
ulating to the residents when
young people and babies are
around them. So once a year
there is Baby Day. Mothers
bring their preschool children to
play at the home and the resi
dents lap it up.
“Sometimes,” Bender says,
“We get ‘grumped’ at because
there weren’t enough babies to
go around.”
The craft activities at
Goodwill are tremendously suc
cessful, thanks to volunteer
helpers and home sewers.
When finished, the sale out
lets for Goodwill Home crafts
are area festivals, local craft
shops and shopping malls. Two
outlets, however are in
Pennsylvania at East Earl and
Smicksburg.
The crafts include ceramics,
stuffed geese, chicken and cat
doorstops; yo-yo clowns that
attract college kids; teddy bears
and dolls, sock monkeys, and
Amish dolls.
“The Amish dolls we cannot
make fast enough,” Bender said.
The sales generate revenues
invested for extracurricular
activities for the residents. Trips
to the mall, for instance, parties,
and other surprises. They do,
however, remember to give
something back.
“At Christmas we buy gifts
and wrap them for the Union
Rescue Mission in Cumberland
(Md.), “Bender reported.
To an observer on a Friday
afternoon, Elsie Schrock might
be holding court at an oblong
table where she leads the ladies
in her charge to make the indi
vidual yo-yos.
The residents, chattering
happily, are eager to sew. First,
however, Schrock takes one from
a stack of precut 6-inch rounds
of fabric, joins it and a smaller
liner, makes a few stitches with
the threaded needle and turns
under the edge as she goes.
It is ready for the resident to
continue the process. When fin
ished Schrock securely knots the
thread.
Some 70 yo-yos are needed
for a clown. Fourteen for each
arm, leg, and body.
Surrounded by chunks of
foam rubber, Skidmore works at
another table. On the floor a
large cardboard box is overflow
ing with plastic bags holding the
cut up foam bits
Hers is tedious work and the
snipped pieces not easily con
trolled. They are the stuffings
for the sassy goose, the chubby
chicken, the cat and cuddly ani
mals.
“We don’t go anywhere that
we don’t look for a pattern,"
Bender said, amused. ~lbe goose
we found in North Carolina.”
It was a volunteer who inau
gurated Current Event Day by
resourcing the local newspapers.
His foresight found the more
alert residents paying closer
attention to televised newcasts.
They, moreover, brought what
they remembered to the next
discussion about the happenings
of the day. The rising gasoline, in
fact, was a topic they under
stood.
Another volunteer negotiated
the bird watching project that
collects data for studies at
Cornell University, according to
Elaine Yoder, another staff mem
ber.
Volunteers help residents
accomplish the seed growing
project in spring.
Add balloon tennis, bingo,
physical exercises, evening pro
grams, and entertainment. Most
importantly, there is Chapel for
the residents’ spiritual food and
edification.
We can’t forget those who,
once a year, make homemade ice
cream for the home and those in
summer who tackle the outer
premises. These are skilled in
maintenance, gardening, and
landscaping. They prefer the
fresh air and sunshine.
So it seems when it comes to
the volunteer’s contribution to
society, only his or her imagina
tion and the sky itself, are the
limits of what they might do for
others.
Following is Bender’s poem:
'f I
f£r
You want to know what’s
happening
Within the Goodwill door
lyiaiiy AlicG Skidmore Clara and print it
The world knows more and more
Here volunteer Elsie Schrock joyfully tackles the mak
ing of yo-yos for the popular yo-yo clowns. Around
Schrock are residents waiting for her to give them a
threaded needle so they, too, can begin sewing.
VOLUNTEERS MAGNIFY
BEAUTY
There is beautfin reflection
Much beauty does abound
The volunteers among us
Do magnify it all around.
The sewers work behind the
scenes
Cats, teddy bears and geese they
do produce
It’s Elsie Green, Mary Alice and
Barbara
That put the machines to use.
Stitch by stitch, machine a buzz
The dolls, dresses, cushions and
hats to make
Are Vera, Freda, Mary and
Thelma
They trustfhe stitch won’t break.
From slip to bisque the project
forms
And Dimples brings ceramics
Mary Alice Helps with caring
hand
We learn of its dynamics.
Monday afternoon there is Bingo
A game that’s played for fun
Charles, Maxine, Ruth, Goldie,
Edna, Merrill and Anna
Keep it going on the run.
Miriam Loos’ fine tuning leads
That’s exercise you see
With moving arms, legs and all
They are busy as bees.
What happens in the world
about us
May be lost and miss our ears
But here come Frank and
Waynard
f With current events to calm
those fears.
Catherine does the final touch
Her dedication is a delight
She finishes cushions and dolls
Keeping our world all right.
Balloon tennis brings so much
fun.
There’s just no time to spare
As Frank, Miriam, Waynard,
Kristine and Ray
Keep balloons flying in the air.
Be it music or a puzzle
Things so numerous he will do
Just tell Jack what is needed
Our projects he will pursue.
Cliff says he’s the drafted one
But much to our great pleasure
He arrives with loads of foam
Which we just can’t measure.
With foam-snipping for cushions
And yo-yos on a pile
Kathy, Darla, Lena, Elsie, Ella
and Mary Alice
Encourage with many smiles.
To market go our numerous
items
We go to malls and shows
There is Esther selling with
vigor
Trusting the sales to grow.
Homemade ice cream from a
freezer
Oh, what a delight to eat
To the mall or Summerfest
Elvin and vera making life sweet
In rooms they go for visits
And residents they do bring
It’s Christy and Theresa
That cause our hearts to sing.
All wrapped in finest blessings
In activities we do know
That our volunteers magnify
beauty
And loads of love they show.