2016 Award Nomination
Award Category: Community Volunteer of the Year
Nominee Information: Gloria Sprunger Title: Community Volunteer (Non-Resident)
The volunteer that I am nominating has shown extraordinary love and dedication in everything that she does. She has an amazing heart for caring for our residents, staff, and all those that she comes in contact with. This volunteer is special and unique in that she worked for our organization for 11 years before deciding to retire and come back to “work” as a volunteer. She helps with activities, fundraisers, seasonal decorating, manning our front desk, and makes a big difference in the lives of those she serves.
As a volunteer this individual provides so much joy and love to everyone. Working at our community for numerous years in housekeeping she has developed a special bond with many of our residents and staff. She is able to call almost everyone by name. Not only does she remember your name but she remembers special occasions, events, or even trials in your life that you mention to her. She keeps you in her prayers if you are struggling and rejoices with you during the good moments. These personal touches that she provides have come to mean so much to our residents and staff. Our community is always excited to see this individual and you can
tell how much she truly cares for each person she interacts with. Many of her interactions go above and beyond her volunteering duties. You can often find her visiting with the residents that she served directly during her tenure at our community. These residents have become a part of her family. She often stops by their room, finds them in the hallway, or catches them at their favorite activity.
It is evident that her faith drives who she is. I can’t recall ever hearing her complain. Instead, she turns negatives into “God moments.” Even when things aren’t going how we all might want, she remains positive and upbeat. She has a knack for finding the best in everyone and every situation. This volunteer always asks how else she can help. She gives generously of her time and wants to make sure our organization is always at our best.
We strive very hard to make our community feel like home. We hear from our residents how they appreciate the little touches, such as decorating for every season and holiday. It takes our staff and volunteers a week just to get ready for Christmas. They work very hard to make sure that we are looking our best at all times. This individual knows the joy these touches bring to our residents and diligently comes in to help make sure everything is looking gorgeous. She came in almost every day after Thanksgiving until the decorations were up for the Christmas season. This included over 25 Christmas trees, many villages, countless nativities, table decorations, wreaths, and much more! She knows the importance of our facility being home to those who live here. Many residents will spend Christmas celebrating with the family that is within our walls and she wants to make sure their home is filled with holiday joy.
She takes great care in helping to make sure each holiday is special for every resident. She even made sure that each gift that we gave the residents were wrapped and looking beautiful. Also, she helped to make all of the favors for the Christmas party. No task is too small, insignificant, or below her. Each task brings joy to those we serve and she does everything knowing that fact. Not only does she diligently help us get ready for the holidays but she also comes in to make sure everything is taken down and we are ready for the next holiday or season.
This individual also gives generously of her time at our front desk. Our front desk is the hub of our facility. It is where everyone enters. This volunteer spends evenings sitting at our front desk greeting those who visit. She makes sure that everyone knows where they are going and feels welcome to our facility. Residents will occasionally stop by to chat and catch up with this volunteer. Not only does she come on her regularly scheduled times but if she sees or hears that someone is volunteering alone at the front desk she will come in extra so that they have someone to spend their evening with. She doesn’t want people to volunteer alone if they don’t want to.
On our campus we have a boutique for residents, who are unable to get out to shop, to purchase items that they need or want. The boutique allows our residents to have independence in their purchasing decisions. This volunteer helps out in the boutique restocking items and cleaning. She helps to make sure that items do not run low and that things are always looking nice for our residents. Also, if a resident has purchased an item that is not sold in the boutique she will deliver those items to their room.
This volunteer truly does it all. She has a heart for helping in whatever way possible. At our annual BBQ fundraiser for our onsite daycare she comes in to help pack every meal. If we hold a bake sale, she comes in to diligently help bake all of the items that will be sold. Not only does she help in volunteering, but she helps to make sure our fundraising efforts are a success. She even encourages others to take part in helping how they can. You can tell that she knows the benefits that this offers her, our organization, and most importantly our residents. Giving generously of her time and using her talents to serve others seems to be such a joy for her.
Our mission statement says that, we are committed to providing quality services in a Christian environment that enhances life with dignity, meaning, and opportunities for growth. This volunteer exemplifies our mission. She is able to spread God’s love with everyone she comes in contact with. Our residents are treated with dignity and given deeper meaning with her interactions. Each resident is challenged to make a difference in others in whatever way they can by this loving and caring volunteer.
This volunteer is most definitely a blessing to our residents. She makes their lives brighter every day. But this individual is also a blessing to our staff. She is always willing to help wherever she can. It always amazes me how happy she is to help, no matter the task. She often comes in to help with tasks that she knows are needing to be done but also always lets us know that we can call her anytime we need help. She is so dedicated to helping make a difference at our facility that she will even apologize if she has a prior commitment and is unable to come in, that is how much volunteering at our organization means to her. She wants everything to be done at a high standard. Sometimes she will even surprise our staff with snacks to enjoy when they are having a particularly busy day. Our staff is so appreciative of the time and energy that she helps to save them.
Not only does this volunteer give generously of her time at our organization, but also helps the mothers of our community by volunteering for the local mother’s group at her church. She spends time each week with one-year-old kids. Being retired has not stopped her from being active and crawling around on the floor with the children. She greatly enjoys getting to spend time with the children and letting the mothers of our community have a few hours to spend together in fellowship while their children are in wonderful and capable hands. It doesn’t matter if she is interacting with elderly residents or young children or anyone in between, she is wonderful!
This volunteer knows that it is the little touches that make a big difference. She has cared so generously for our residents and staff. Her compassion and caring spirit make her a wonderful volunteer for our community. We couldn’t be happier to nominate such an amazing individual. We have numerous amazing volunteers and each one has a large impact in our organization. We simply could not do what we do without them. This volunteer in particular has brought great joy to our residents; not only through her interactions but also the work that she does. She makes our community not just a facility but a home.
