May 01

woman in apartment building lobby delivering meals to older adults

A Year of Volunteer Meal Deliveries

Springwell’s Home Delivered Meals program faced severe staffing challenges when employment programs closed under the emergency order in March 2020. People like Eugenie Coakley swiftly answered Springwell’s call for volunteer drivers one year ago and have kept the home-delivered meal program on the road ever since. We asked Eugenie about her experiences. “People always appreciate […]

Apr 22

Helping People is my Focus

Adele is a long time, volunteer member of the compassionate Springwell team dedicated to ensuring that older adults in our community get the help and support they need and want. She began her career doing clinical testing as a psychometrist at several universities in New England and at MA Mental Health. After earning a master’s […]

Jan 27

older woman looking contemplative

Isolation Compounding the Risks of Elder Abuse During the Pandemic

Since March of 2020 it has been necessary for older adults and other high-risk individuals to stay home as much as possible to avoid exposure to COVID19. While vital to their well-being, it is not without potential cost for those at risk for elder abuse. Victims may experience emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, financial exploitation, self-neglect, […]

Jul 13

Zach Strecker listening on phone in his role as a Friendly Visitor for Springwell

Conversation with a Friendly Visitor is just a phone call away

Due to the risks of COVID19, seniors have never been more isolated, and need to hear that there are people in the community who care about them. To help keep everyone physically distanced yet socially connected, Springwell’s Friendly Visitor program has transitioned smoothly to tele-visits. When Zach Strecker learned about Springwell’s Friendly Visitor program, he [...]

Jul 02

Paul Bemko ready to make phone call as Friendly Visitor

Friendly Visitors Transition to Calls

“It’s being a friend and making a difference in someone’s life,” says Paul Bemko when asked about being a volunteer in Springwell’s Friendly Visitor Program. Due to the risks of COVID19, seniors have never been more isolated, and need to hear that there are people in the community who care about them. To help keep [...]

Jun 11

Volunteer Home delivered meal driver

What a difference a volunteer makes!

In 2015 at age 52 Ann McWalter sustained a traumatic brain injury which ended her career as a physical therapist overnight. “I wanted to be a physical therapist since I was 14. My career gave me a sense of identity, purpose and meaning. I loved the challenge of figuring out how to help people with […]

Jan 02

Help Others – Volunteering is more than a New Year’s Resolution!

It’s that time of year for the big question, “What are your New Year’s Resolutions?” Many of us make resolutions but within a couple of months they tend to fall by the wayside. Sometimes that happens because the resolution is too vague or we haven’t figured out a workable plan to keep the commitment. Have [...]

Oct 24

Jay, with his volunteer, Don

Managing Finances is Less Stressful with Assistance

Jay fell in love with snow when he moved to Massachusetts from Arizona in 1980. He spent his career as a chef and especially enjoys preparing Mexican food with bold flavors. As Jay got older and faced some chronic health challenges, he retired on a fixed income.  With a tight budget, he used his maximum [...]

Sep 28

Nancy with her care advisor, Nicole

National Good Neighbor Day: Nancy’s Story

As each of us hurry through our days, it is easy to miss the opportunity to get to know an aging neighbor. Undoubtedly each senior citizen that you see quietly living nearby has a wealth of stories about the adventure of their life. Your neighbors’ stories will likely amaze you, bring a smile to your [...]