By Margot Millard, North Stake Media Specialist and Joe Robledo, San Antonio East Stake Director of Public Affairs
The Catholic Charities Adopt-A-Senior program event drew a standing-room-only crowd on Saturday, June 29th, including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints interested in serving and fellowshipping at-risk senior citizens in the San Antonio community. Funded by the San Antonio Area Foundation, the Adopt-A-Senior program provides elderly individuals lacking an adequate support system with a volunteer advocate who can alert program coordinators to immediate needs.
large box fans for Catholic Charities ‘Project Cool.’
Because the elderly are often socially isolated due to circumstances beyond their control, volunteers are encouraged to spend at least one hour (weekly or monthly) engaged with their Senior in activities such as conversation, board/card games, movies, reading aloud, gardening, outings, etc, and are required to periodically submit a care form to the program coordinator about their Senior’s needs. Families with children are especially welcomed as most Seniors delight in interacting with youngsters. In addition to a background check, volunteers must attend an orientation before being paired with a Senior.
Catholic Charities employee explains the program.
Lupe Morin, Coordinator of the Adopt-A-Senior program gratefully acknowledged that it was “a blessing that we got to serve every senior that we had. We were afraid that we weren’t going to be able to reach out to all the seniors we had. The fact that they brought their families was really exciting because this is a shared experience. It’s exciting that they want to share it with their children.” Raymond Kirsch, of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said that “children learn from example and that’s why I was excited to see kids today with their parents cause that’s where they will learn that compassion…this is a great learning experience.”
Mandy Ortega a member of the Church’s Las Palmas Ward, in the San Antonio East Stake, volunteered because, “I like to help and serve with the other churches that are helping. I am happy to do it.” She said it was a joy to be there and to serve, “there are many seniors that I work with and I know what their necessities are right now, and we are distributing much needed fans in this heat and there is a great need to help.”
Kirsch said these visits make “a great difference…individuals that are home bound and isolated are sort of an unsung issue…these people may have no one…and it doesn’t diminish the fact that they need someone. Going over there has an impact.” Stephanie Oatis, Program Coordinator with Catholic Charities’ Retired and Senior Volunteer Program said, “I was excited, knowing that as I visited with a senior and took the time out to spend quality time, that’s huge! One client was hugging my neck and crying saying that I didn’t think anybody cared. That’s why I am here, letting them know that you care”
As operations were being shut down, a volunteer that had gone out to serve a Senior returned and gave a quick report. Tera Gomez volunteered last year and received an email regarding this year’s event. Her motivation to serve others comes from love. She said, “I love helping others so it made me want to help a Senior out.” The senior citizen that Tera visited had no air conditioning. He’d been watching an old western on TV. Tera said, that as soon as she engaged him in conversation “about westerns on TV he lit up.” I kept talking to him and asked him if he liked Clint Eastwood and John Wayne and he said “Yes, Yes” and smiled” Tera said that the man’s wife saw the reaction in the man’s face and said that she had not seen him smile in a long time. Tera said that that experience made her “very happy to get him out his mindset”.
Other volunteers had similar experiences and in so doing, the volunteers and event organizers truly followed the Savior Jesus Christ’s admonition to serve like the Good Samaritan as they did “…go and do thou likewise.”
If you or your family have questions, feel free to contact Lupe Morin, Adopt-A-Senior Coordinator, at (210) 222-1294 Ext. 2275