Volunteering

I should clear a few things up about my Volunteering at the Nursing Home.

I have not been Fired or Forbidden from Volunteering.

I have been forbidden from Volunteering as the Receptionist or in any position that is generally done by someone who is paid.

That is from the Human Resource Woman at Headquarters.

In 2022 I Volunteered there twice (a week in May during their Summer Festival and on Halloween when they decorate the Nursing Home and have Children go Trick-Or-Treating with the Residents.)

In 2023 I Volunteered there twice (a week in May during their Summer Festival as well as on Mother’s Day and on Halloween when they decorate the Nursing Home and have Children go Trick-Or-Treating with the Residents.)

In 2024 I Volunteered there once (a week in May during their Summer Festival as well as on Mother’s Day.) I had planned to Volunteer on Halloween, but I had the Flu after visiting Friends and Family in New York the week before.)

In 2025 I Volunteered in May during their Summer Festival as well as on Mother’s Day. I worked at their Pizza Party (handing out Pizza to everyone, helped set-up and run different Activities, handed-out Concessions during their Fashion Show, etc.)

 It was during the Festival I learned about their Regular Receptionist.

She was traveling to Boston every day to be with her Son who was in the hospital. Then in June her Son died and then in July she learned she had Cancer and has to have Chemo and Radiation.

I offered to fill-in for their Receptionist (as a Volunteer – not being paid.) when I learned that she was spending so much time with her Son at the Hospital. I then extended my offer to help through every step of her sad journey.

I had planned to continue to Volunteer as the Receptionist through December when the Receptionist would return (hopefully) or when she would have to be permanently replaced if she was too sick to return.

As the Receptionist I: Handled out Breakfast to the Residents every morning. I would have to go into their rooms to see if they were awake and wanted Breakfast, then go get their tray, go to the Kitchenette and tell the Staff there the name of the Resident I had and what food they wanted and how they had to eat it (chopped finely or regular), then I would go to the Drink Cart look on the list to see what drinks they got and make them, they deliver their Breakfast to the Resident and move on to the next one.

I did the same for Lunch (except I didn’t have to make sure each Resident was awake.)

In between that I answered the telephone. Since all calls into the Building went right to me I had to answer the phone, find out who the Caller wanted to speak to: a Resident, a Tenant or an Employee, then find out the Caller’s Name, then I would have to dial the Extension of the Person being Called, tell them who I was and who was Calling them and ask if they wanted to speak to the Caller. If they wanted to speak to the Caller I would transfer the call to them. If they didn’t want to speak to the Caller I would go back to the Caller on Hold, tell them the person was not available and transfer them to their Voicemail.

I also had to let everyone into and out of the building by either buzzing the door from the Reception or walking up to the Front Door and putting in a Code.

You don’t know how many people got confused by the Front Door (there is a big sign saying to hit the button for the Receptionist) and many people would just stand by the door and look confused or curse at it to magically open.

I then had to direct the Guests and Visitors to where they wanted to go (upstairs for the Tenants, down the hall for the Residents or upstairs or down the hall for an Employee.)

I also received all the deliveries from Amazon, UPS, FedEx and USPS every day and would have to separate the mail and packages for the Residents, the Tenants and the Employees (including bringing the packages and mail to them in their rooms or offices.)

The Regular Receptionist had started putting candy she bought herself in a candy container by her desk and the open Reception Window.

I continued that tradition.

I have spent $785 of my own money since May 2025 buying Lindt Chocolates, Mini-Sized Chocolates like Hershey, Reese’s, Milky Way, Pay Day, etc. and other goodies to fill up the candy container.

Everyone (Residents, Tenants, Employees and Guests) regularly come by the Reception Office, talk to me, grab some candy and then leave happy.

It’s a nice pick-me-up for the Staff and a special treat for the Residents and Tenants.

I will only be the Receptionist for 5 more days (September 22^nd, 24^th, 30^th and October 1^st and 2^nd.)

I can still Volunteer at the Nursing Home, but not as the Receptionist, but as a Volunteer with the Activities Department,  but I have tried that and it is very tiring as you are constantly running around (helping people with Walkers or Wheelchairs, running after balls or other activities, etc.)

I just can’t physically do that anymore.

I do plan on helping out with their Halloween this year (if people in New York don’t get me sick while I am there.) Their Halloween won’t be on the 31^st since it is a Friday, but on another day.

As you can tell I am upset about not being able to Volunteer more at the Nursing Home.

In the past 4 months I have Volunteered more than 300 hours and am just “thrown out.”

I will be stuck on my mountain (after my Dad’s Leave in October/November) and probably won’t go anywhere all Winter.