Kay Cabanaw with Healthwin resident during volunteer week, April 2011
Residents and employees alike are the grateful recipients of the wonderful smiles and cheerful attitudes that Healthwin’s volunteers offer every day from the kindness of their hearts. Some of the volunteers, such as Kay Cabanaw, have been at Healthwin for years. She simply “…didn’t want to say goodbye forever to the residents and employees of the Healthwin community.” Cabanaw has been volunteering for over 3 years, since bringing her aunt to Healthwin. She says that, “The best part is laughter! You can’t help but love being here. The residents are so fun. They make me laugh and I make them laugh.” Another reason she continues to volunteer here, she says, is because she enjoys the people she works with at Healthwin. “There are smiles all around – the people that work here are so nice, and everyone enjoys each other.”
Pictured top left are volunteers Laurie Ziolowsk and Anne Worthington, staff member Kristin Everett, volunteers Marjorie Clark and Stefanie Hessey, staff member Saundra Salloway, and resident counsel president Janice Decker.
Laurie Ziolowsk, who has volunteered at Healthwin for over 6 months, says that, “the main thing [is] the activities.” Laurie says that she believes in Healthwin and loves that the residents are able to continually interact with each other through the numerous daily activities offered in the building. One of her favorites, she says, is the reminiscing activity helmed by Doris, who recites events that happened each day in years past. She realizes that, through her assistance, she is helping to improve the quality of life for Healthwin’s residents. She loves the friendly, positive, rewarding atmopshere that her assistance creates among the residents and staff. Ziolowsk also appreciates that everyone at Healthwin addresses each other with a smile and cheerful first-name acknowledgement.
Pictured are volunteers Ed Lind and Laurie Ziolowsk during Nursing Home Week
Another appreciated volunteer at Healthwin is Ed Lind, who has been volunteering for over a year now, mostly in the therapy department. Ed’s favorite part of Healthwin is that all of the residents and staff have life lessons and words of wisdom to offer one other. “Everyone is a book at Healthwin – I’ve learned so much about people here,” said Lind. “I also love how receptive they are. It’s always easy to get a smile from a resident.” When speaking of the therapy offered at Healthwin, Ed says, “It’s a gift to see the residents progress physically and in mind and spirit.”
For the happiness, assistance, friendliness, warm-hearted spirit, and missionary heart of our volunteers, Healthwin is forever grateful. Thank you.
