Sandoval County Honors its Senior Volunteers

It's not unusual to walk into a hospital, school or community center and see senior citizens volunteering their time to help keep those places running. But have you ever wondered how much time those seniors actually give to the community?

The Sandoval County Senior Program staff has. That's why-after tallying the exact number of hours seniors donate to various organizations throughout the county-the Senior Program staff asked the County Commission to designate April Senior Volunteer Month in Sandoval County.

The commission passed a proclamation to that affect on March 15, giving a formal "thank you" to the 250 plus seniors who have volunteered thousands of hours at 24 different agencies serving Sandoval County residents of various ages over the past year.

Deserving of Recognition
To show how much these seniors deserve special recognition, the Senior Program Staff is sharing the stories of the three seniors who have logged the most volunteer hours from April 29, 2011 to April 25, 2012. These highly-dedicated seniors are:

	Marge Haas logged 2068 hours of volunteer service at St. Felix Food Pantry from April 29, 2011 to April 25th 2012. "A lot of people don't realize that some people don't have anything," says Haas, who has been doing volunteer work for 10 years. She started with the St. Felix Food Pantry nearly 2.5 years ago. Haas refers to her work at St. Felix as simply doing what she loves-working with people. She also believes she's helping the pantry accomplish its mission, which is to restore hope to people who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances.
	Boonie Miera devoted 979 hours to being a Foster Grandparent at Algodones Elementary School from April 29, 2011 to April 25th 2012. Boonie Miera has been a part of the Sandoval County Foster Grandparent Program for nearly 4 years. She currently is working with third-graders at Algodones Elementary School, giving students the individual attention the teacher may not always the time to provide. Miera says working with children brings joy to her life, and she seems to have the same affect on the children. Students are comfortable in seeking "Grandma Boonie's" help when needed-and she can get them back on track with a gentle touch and a whisper, says Ms. Hill, the third-grade teacher, at Algodones Elementary.
	Lynda Carol spent 1,098 hours as a Senior Companion in Cuba, N.M. from April 29, 2011 to April 25th 2012. Lynda Carol has been with the Sandoval County Senior Companion Program for more than 4 years. She is currently working with three elderly clients in the community of Cuba and La Jara. Her work involves visiting with elderly residents and assisting them in any way she can. Carol feels she is making a difference in her clients' lives, while also learning from them. Several of her clients have said Carol's presence makes them less dependent on family members, and that gives them a sense of relief.