Council on Aging volunteers celebrated at annual luncheon

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If volunteers did not freely give their time, energy and efforts, then the Chatham County Council on Aging would cease to exist.

Instead, homebound Chatham County seniors can rely on a hot meal delivered to their doors five times a week. A steady team of able-bodied repairmen fuel the Council’s Minor Home Repair program. And when every dollar counts, volunteers have led the way to Medicare savings through 120 hours of Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counseling during the 2021-22 fiscal year.

However, such selfless acts barely scratch the surface of what the COA’s volunteer corps has accomplished since July 1, 2021. The Council, in its own small way, attempted to repay its volunteers with its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon last Wednesday at the Chatham County Agricultural and Conference Center.

“Each of you, by showing up on multiple occasions to give of your time, energy and resources, has made a difference for hundreds of seniors served by the Council,” COA executive director Ashlyn Martin said. “The work of the Council on Aging would not be possible without each of you, and so today’s event is all about taking time to relax and have fun.”

While volunteers, new and seasoned alike, combined to donate 9,921 hours of service since July 2021, 95-year-old Christine Degraffenreidt celebrated her birthday June 1 and has been active in Council volunteer activities for some 17 years.

In recognizing Degraffenreidt, COA board member Marylou Mackintosh praised her foresight in returning to Chatham County from New York following retirement.

“I personally have received a lot of satisfaction from helping others,” Mackintosh said. “And I hope you have too, and continue it. It doesn’t matter how old you get.”

Since July 2021, a total of 13,215 meals have been delivered as part of the Meals on Wheels program.

Alan Russo, Nutrition Site Manager & Programs Specialist at the Eastern Center, recently oversaw the construction of a raised bed for planting at the Western Center in Siler City. A noted handyman around the Council, Russo received immeasurable assistance from the volunteer pool.

“I know that my position, I wouldn’t be able to do my job without volunteers,” Russo said. “Before (COVID-19) happened two years ago, when we had meals at the Eastern Center, basically I was the only person in my department. There was no way for me to do all the things that needed to be done without volunteers. That included checking people in, helping in the kitchen, getting the Meals on Wheels prepared, serving the seniors and cleaning up everything.”

In 2021, the Council’s Minor Home Repair team completed 32 jobs, accounting for 460 hours of service. The work performed by the team includes, but is not limited to, shower grab bar installation and wheelchair ramp construction.

“The man hours and the money they have saved is immeasurable,” Minor Home Repair coordinator Wynne Fields said. “If you tried to hire a carpenter or a handyman or anyone to get a job done, small or big, you know how hard it is.”

The 2022 installment of Chatham County Senior Games resulted in 341 volunteer hours and produced the largest participant turnout in the event’s history, while 1,808 hours were devoted to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

“I think there’s a lot of people that lose their zest for life because they don’t feel like they have a purpose,” Eastern Center Activities Specialist Jackie Green said. “We couldn’t do everything we do at the Council on Aging to reach all of the seniors that we reach without having all of you that help us.”