Volunteer Profiles

I’ve been the Assistant Nutrition Director here at Springwell since May, 2023. I really enjoy the daily problem solving the job requires and being a resource for assistance for others on the team: site managers, volunteers, office staff etc.

I started my first job at age 16 at McDonalds working in the grill.  Little did I know that working with food would be a steady theme across the rest of my career. After McDonalds, I delivered pizzas and stocked shelves at Stop & Shop as I worked towards finishing college with a degree in Sociology and Business Administration.  Stop and Shop took a special interest in me and I was entered into their managerial training program to put me on track to get into store management upon graduation.

I knew I wanted to make an impact in the community and do something fulfilling that helped other people. After graduating in 2017 and trying out management at Stop and Shop, I realized that my goals weren’t going to be met there and working in retail wasn’t my calling. So, in 2018 after searching for a new career path, I found Elder Services of Worcester Area. ESWA is a nonprofit that provides assistive services for elders in the community. They were looking for help in their Nutrition Program. I applied and got the job, beginning a 5-year journey as the Nutrition Operations Manager there. I enjoyed my time working at ESWA in the Nutrition Program. That position gave me valuable knowledge and experience that equipped me with the best tools to succeed in my next role, which ended up being with Springwell as the Assistant Nutrition Director.

Here at Springwell, I am fully engaged in the operations of the program every day. Days don’t always go as planned, and thinking quickly to find solutions is a valuable skill. Sometimes the caterer’s truck with food is late, or a volunteer calls in sick, or the building we pack meals in isn’t open for the day. There’s always a wide variety of issues/questions that can show up unexpectedly but I enjoy the challenge this provides. Luckily, I have a strong team of colleagues and volunteers that I work with who help me ensure that operations run smoothly most of the time.

The Nutrition Program at Springwell cannot achieve its goals without volunteers. I want the volunteers to know how much we appreciate them, and encourage them to reach out if they need anything – that’s what we’re here for.  The volunteers are so dedicated to helping our communities. Sometimes when we have coverage shortages, I have to go out and deliver meals on a route. I appreciate those opportunities because I get to be a Meals on Wheels driver and experience everything our volunteers do out on the road. It helps me see that we are providing a quality service and that our consumers are being cared for by their drivers. It also provides valuable insights into our operations and makes me aware of any changes or improvements that can be made. My favorite part of this job is interacting with our consumers and putting a smile on their faces!  That makes me feel like I did something for them that helped make their day a little better. Even if I’m feeling stressed, there are people that need me, which motivates me to do everything possible to continue doing a good job.

In my non-work time, I love the outdoors and expressing my creative side. My favorite hobby is riding my bicycle on various bike paths and trails throughout New England. Riding my bike gets me out into the sunshine and let’s me see and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. When I’m not on my bike exercising my legs, I exercise my mind by painting, playing video games, writing creative stories, reading and making fun videos (mostly on my bike!)

In June of 2025 I will have been at Springwell for 38 years! I was in college when I started as a Meals Delivery Coordinator.  Back then when Springwell was called West Suburban Services.  At that time, we provided meals to 3 towns with only 100 people in total; now it’s 7 towns including well over 500 people.

I’ve always liked this job because it involves nutrition, specifically for seniors.  I was a food/nutrition major in college, so it was a good fit.  And when I was a child, I was lucky enough to be able to spend time with 2 of my great grandmothers.  It was a true privilege to have that kind of access to the older generation in my family.  That experience made me comfortable with seniors even when I was young.

I feel strongly for the people I supervise in my position.  I’m their advocate and try to make their role here easier for them by maintaining order and organization and simplifying things as much as possible.  I’ve had the privilege of working with some wonderful people over the years, including some volunteer drivers who’ve been here for 20+ years.  Volunteers are the engine of the program. Without them, we couldn’t do what we do.  And I love that we are bringing meals to seniors – to see their gratitude, make someone’s day, I can directly see how valuable the service is for them. Not everyone is aware of this, but we have a special therapeutic meal program that offers a variety of special diets: soft, textured, renal, cardiac and low lactose.

As for me personally, I’m a first generation American. I’m Azorean – my family originally came from the Azores.  So I love traveling, but I also have enjoyed keeping our family/cultural traditions, like making Sweet Bread (with eggs) for Easter.  Next year I hope to go back to the Azores with my sister and her kids.

Being part of this program and doing the work we do every day is very important to me.  It gives me wonderful opportunities to interact with community dining participants, as well as volunteers and Springwell staff.  I get so much back when we all work together! We have had some very dedicated volunteers who have done this for many years.  They have amazing energy and a special kind of spirit.

I didn’t start out in social services. I worked in a bank when I was in high school, and then went on to study Information Technology at college.  When I graduated, I worked in software development at a hospital for a few years and spent most of my IT career in IT project management at a book publishing company.  I decided that I wanted a change, specifically so I could do something that would have a more personal and direct impact on my community.  I moved into an administrative support role in a doctor’s office, but also kept an eye out for new opportunities.

Four and a half years ago, I found Springwell where I became a Nutrition Administrative Assistant.  Shortly after that, the role of Community Dinning Manager opened up, allowing me to more directly help people get a nutritious meal along with some wholesome socialization. Springwell offers so many different services that are important to know about. When I go out to the dining sites, I see the benefits first hand.

When I’m not working, I love spending time on the beach.  It’s so relaxing to be with family and friends, and watch the ocean together.  The coast of Maine, and the South Shore are among my favorites.  While I don’t play any instruments, I do love music and going to concerts: soft rock, pop, and also the Symphony now and then.

I got a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and have always been interested in understanding human interactions.  Being an Ombudsman I’m right in the thick of it.  We’re the only people residents in a facility feel they can fully trust and talk to about their needs, since we are not affiliated with their facility and it’s confidential. We always make a difference, even if it’s just on a small issue.  If a resident has a need that was not getting fulfilled, we can help them get it, or at least make the situation better for them.

I started my career working with children and adolescents with severe behavioral health issues.  I worked with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and tried to keep them at home.  After that job, I found Springwell, and started working in homecare.  But once I found this Ombudsman position, I really enjoyed it.  I’ve been in this position 5 years now, and love meeting different people every single day. I never know who they will be, so it’s interesting to hear their experiences.  We go into the facilities every week and have a profound presence.

Ombudsman is a unique position for a volunteer.  They really get to know the residents, and interact with the staff at the facility on their behalf.  Their assistance helps the residents to voice any issues they might have and use the formal policies and informal relationships to resolve them.

I’m the mother of 2 young children: a 3-year-old in preschool, and a 1-year-old in daycare. My husband and I also have 2 dogs, so it’s very active when we’re all together. Luckily, we have a nice support system, so I can enjoy everything!

I worked as a baby sitter as a teenager.  I’m one of 11, with 6 brothers and 5 sisters, so I was used to taking care of younger siblings!  I also worked at McDonalds.  It was fun back then when we took the order and got the food for customers.  I doubt that it’s as much fun to work there anymore, with so much less customer contact.

I’ve now worked at Springwell (formerly BayPath) for 30 years.  I developed good listening skills when I was young, maybe that’s what made me gravitate to this job. I now spend my days interacting with many different people including the management of the facilities, the residents and their families.  The volunteers and I are there to see that residents are satisfied with their care; that they are aware of their rights.  I can direct them to the regulator (the Department of Public Health).  And we always respect resident’s confidentiality.  We also encourage residents to speak up, empowering them to advocate for themselves.

It’s most important to listen to people so they feel heard.  And sometimes people do get upset, which is hard, so I try to help and not take it personally. I always try to do things for the residents, make things better, and I’m very responsive. I focus on what I can do, not what I can’t – otherwise I’d drive myself crazy!

It can be a struggle now to find volunteers.  I have to cover quite a few facilities myself. I’m not complaining, visiting facilities is my favorite part of the job.   I did have a wonderful volunteer, Judy, who was with us for well over 20 years.  She loved the work so much, she became a recruiter for me.  She managed to get 6-7 others including her husband to join us.   (Editor’s Note: we would love to find more volunteers like Judy! Let us know if you are interested in helping us to recruit).

When I am not working, I can often be found hanging out with my sisters. If I’m not with my sisters, then I’m with my grandchildren. Those little ones give me the energy to keep going.  This is a wonderful job but can be an exhausting one sometimes!

I started working with seniors in 1987 as a Home Care worker and then as a Protective Services worker. I was also an Ombudsman in South Carolina for a few years before I returned to Massachusetts where I grew up. My grandmother was part of my inspiration.  She worked for Frank Manning, an elder rights activist who started the first gerontology program at the University of Massachusetts back in 1979.

I’ve now been at Springwell for over 2 years as the Assisted Living Ombudsman Program Manager.  We support residents and empower them to speak up about their care. It’s important that residents should know their rights.  People need to know that someone is there to answer their questions and get them what they need: an advocate. We always try to focus on what the resident wants, rather than on what the staff or family want.

I love meeting our seniors and hearing their stories, they are all so fascinating!  I could never sit in an office 9a – 5p.  I manage over 60 different locations!  The work is always different.  I really appreciate the volunteers, they can be there for residents much more often than we can.  They get to know people better so they find it easier to get residents to talk. And being an Ombudsman Volunteer is a big commitment: there’s a state certification training for the Ombudsman volunteers.  It includes a combination of online and in person training.  Our volunteer Ombudsmen are a truly dedicated team!