Volunteer Testimonials
Interviews With Our Help Desk Volunteers
Pictured left to right: Kathy Ragan, Ann Bobeck, Miriam Matteotti and Linda Lewis
Ann Bobeck has lived in St James since 2012. She’s originally from Northern Pennsylvania and for years was a hospital administrator for the Navy. She joined as a volunteer at the very beginning of NEST, because she’s always enjoyed helping other people and really liked the neighbor helping neighbor concept.
Ann heads up the Help Desk Committee which operates Monday through Friday from 9:00am til 1pm.
Linda Lewis is originally from Virginia, and has lived in St James for 16 years. When she heard about NEST she was excited to know there was a wonderful neighborhood group that was designed to help other neighbors stay in their own homes as long as possible. While moving to a nursing home was always an option, she felt that the biggest problem with nursing homes is loneliness. So, she felt that it would be wonderful if you could stay in your own home, surrounded by friends, for as long as possible. When she heard about NEST, she felt this was the ideal way to allow people to stay here and enjoy the St. James community to the fullest.
She says it’s a real pleasure to answer phones at the Volunteer Help Desk because you can feel the joy the members are experiencing when they have a neighbor to help them.
“It’s up to us to take care of each other.”
Miriam Matteoti found out about NEST from the founder, Cindy Hauman, and has been on the Help Desk from the very beginning. She is always surprised and delighted with how happy the members are when she can help them out by setting up a driver to get food for them or even help them change a lightbulb. She loves the concept of neighbors helping neighbors and is looking forward to watching NEST continue to grow.
Kathleen Ragan is from Little Falls, New Jersey, and was Associate VP in the division of Student Development and Campus Life at Montclair State University. She says it was “ a good life’s work, just like NEST.”
She looks forward to new ways to continue helping St James neighbors stay in their homes. One new program involves taking the Members to the grocery store and helping them shop, which goes beyond the current program of picking up and delivering the groceries.
Testimonials from Our Volunteers
Joining St. James NEST as a volunteer has been a really nice experience. St. James NEST is all about neighbors helping neighbors and NEST volunteering can be done around your schedule. The thanks I receive for driving or attending to in-home needs speaks to the value of NEST volunteering. You help our neighbors get to their appointments and stay active and stay engaged. It's easy and you meet and make new friends and... it's good for the soul. Look at it as "paying it forward" to a time when you you might need the same kind of help. DO IT.
-Wayne Dennis
I have been a volunteer for about 2 years now and find the experience to be very rewarding. We have neighbors who need help; some longterm, some just for a short time. The help needed includes picking up groceries or prescriptions, driving to appointments, or just visiting. This help enables our neighbors to continue to live in their homes independently and with support as needed. A wonderful outcome; what could be better!?!
-Diane Saullo
I enjoy volunteering with St. James NEST because I realize the importance and necessity of a caregiver getting some respite time off. My husband died from Alzheimer's Disease 13 years ago, and I knew that if I hadn't taken care of myself with respite, I wouldn't have been able to take care of him.
-Maureen Killoran
I was looking for an opportunity to volunteer within our community and still have the flexibility to host and travel to be with family when we wanted or needed to do so. The NEST easily allowed that. Soon my modest NEST volunteering became a little selfish because of the NEST members that I met. All of the personalities, all of the appreciation and all of the great conversations kinda made me the winner in this deal.
-Kathy Lance
I have always enjoyed helping others, and the members who I meet are very appreciative of what we do for them. The NEST organization is a wonderful resource for our aging community.
-Paul Askew
I have been workimg closely with an Alzheimer's patient and his wife and I get so much out of my NEST experience. I have grown close to the lovely couple over the past year and a half and I knew there was the need for continuity of care with an Alzheimer's patient. My NEST work is very similar to my experience with my mother, who had a form of dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's.
-Christy Beavers