SPRING 2008Mary Waddington
Salem MMDo you have half an hour or so to spare once a week or maybe every two weeks? Mary Waddington, Coordinator of the Salem Quarter Pastoral Care Volunteer Program at Friends Village, is looking for volunteers interested in visiting those residents at the Village who are in need of compassionate listening.
The Pastoral Care Program was established in 2001 by former directress of nursing Linda Scheule, CEO Tom Lyons and Mary to bring comfort to those residents who are either lonely, transitioning or experiencing loss. Several Salem Quarter members received an orientation and then were assigned two or three residents to visit. They discovered through these visits that they were greatly rewarded by the minimal amount of time and effort it takes to bring comfort to another.
Over the past seven years the numbers of volunteers have dwindled and, with the recent expansion of the Village into a Continuing Care Retirement Center, the numbers of those needing a caring visit have dramatically increased. Assignments of residents to volunteers are made by social workers Christy Waters and Patience Oakes.If you feel the stirrings of a leading to reach out to someone who yearns for a tender ear and an encouraging word, call Mary Waddington at 935-0683.
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Last modified:
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 11:04 PM
