April 16-22 is Volunteer Week! Morning Pointe Senior Living is blessed to have a wide variety of volunteers at our buildings who are truly dedicated to bringing smiles to our residents.
Meet some of our amazing volunteers around the company!
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Lin Douglas, Sug Childers and Elanor Roddy – volunteers at The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Collegedale, Tennessee
These three women come to volunteer almost every night at dinner time. They all have a loved one at the memory care community, and they serve together – serving food, helping feed residents, and cleaning up after supper. Each of them started volunteering in 2021.
Lin has been volunteering since a few months after her mother moved in. “There’s not a lot I can do for Mom right now,” Lin shared. “Volunteering is a way for me personally where I feel like I can contribute to her care. I’ve become attached to every resident here – I know all their names.”
Sug’s husband is a resident, and she saw a place to help out while she was assisting her husband with meals.
“When you see that you’re needed, you do,” Sug said. She has since also contributed her gardening talents with caring for plants at the building.
Elanor’s husband is also a resident, and as a cook by trade, she contributes her talents of making food. She has helped with treats for activities in addition to helping in the dining room at dinner time.
“It’s a heartbreaking situation in memory care, but you want to make people smile,” she shared. “I like seeing the smiles and just being helpful.”
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Earnestine Johnson – volunteer at Morning Pointe of Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Earnestine has been volunteering for about three years. She volunteers twice a week at different times, helping with a variety of activities, from making chocolate-covered pretzels to playing word games to filling bird feeders. She also leads devotions.
“My passion, purpose, and love for being around people are what led me to volunteering,” Earnestine shared. “Volunteering is rewarding to me because it makes me feel needed. It is my calling from God.”
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Paula Blackburn – volunteer at Morning Pointe of Louisville, Kentucky
Paula has been volunteering at Morning Pointe of Louisville since summer of 2022. She calls bingo on Wednesdays, serves lunch and helps with special events, such as Family Nights, the Family Christmas Party and the Resident Satisfaction Survey.
“I wanted to volunteer as I am retired from healthcare and I knew I had the communication skills to work with the residents,” Paula shared. “It also gives me an opportunity to be active.”
Paula added, “It is rewarding to be able to serve the residents and help make their day brighter by compliments and positive comments. I love learning about their histories and families.”
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Micky Chattin – volunteer at Morning Pointe of East Hamilton in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Micky got involved with Morning Pointe through his daughter, Maria Chattin, who serves as the Lantern Program Director at the East Hamilton community. He started volunteering in April 2022.
Twice a month, Micky runs the Men’s Club. The club started with just residents on the Lantern memory care side of the building, but it expanded to include the assisted living side as well.
“I didn’t realize how much interaction people needed until I started hanging out with them,” Micky shared. “It’s important for everyone to have things to do, but it seems to be very important to have a men’s get-together because they are more likely not to participate like women do, and they need a place where they can develop their interests as well.”
For one recent program, Micky dressed up as a Civil War soldier and did a workshop for the men about the war, uniforms, and weapons.
“I’m not much younger than the men but really enjoy their stories and sharing my stories with them and talking about our different experiences,” Micky said.
Volunteering at Morning Pointe has even led Micky to develop a greater passion for visiting with seniors. He now also volunteers to visit members of his church who are not able to get out in the community.
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Alex Cox – volunteer at The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Russell, Kentucky
For Alex, volunteering at Morning Pointe was a natural choice. She is the 5-year-old daughter of Tony Cox, Maintenance Director at Morning Pointe of Russell Senior Living, and Jessica Cox, Business Office Manager at The Lantern, and she has been bringing joy to the residents on the campus since she was a baby. Residents love watching her grow, and Alex loves her relationships with them too.
“It gives me great pride in knowing that Alexandria comes to volunteer out of the kindness of her heart,” said Jessica. “When I pick her up from school, one of the first things she asks me is, ‘Can I go visit the residents at your work?’ The residents pick up on her gentle and sweet demeanor, and they can’t seem to get enough hugs from her. We have taught her that it is our place to make a difference and be kind to everyone.”
Alex’s favorite way to volunteer is passing out snacks to the residents.
“I always want to stay at Morning Pointe,” she said. “It makes me feel happy when I am with them. I like them smiling. I like giving them hugs.”
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No matter your age or situation, there is a place for you to volunteer! Thank you to all who choose to spend their time loving our Morning Pointe residents. Happy Volunteer Week!
