VOLUNTEERS
UNSELFISH COMMITMENT
Jay Apicella, Andrea Nicholson and Christopher Grohocki, volunteers for Dogs and Cats Forever celebrated their favorite teams at the Super Bowl Saturday
event. Apicella has been with the nonprofit shelter on Selvitz Road for 23 years.
Volunteers donate their time
and share their hearts
BY DEBRA MAGRANN
If charitable acts are the glue that holds society together,
then volunteerism is the vehicle by which
those acts are transported. Our social fabric
would unravel without the generosity of people
doing good works.
Volunteer engagement is a key ingredient of a
thriving community. Those who share their time and
talents without seeking personal gain say they do so
with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
High school students are required to perform community
service hours in order to graduate. Boy Scouts
earn merit badges for their service and an Eagle Scout
project affords young men an avenue to gain leadership
skills. Volunteering can benefit the individual as
well as the recipient of the aid.
Many retirees volunteer for the same reasons: They
get satisfaction from giving back to their community,
enjoy interaction with the public and feel the need to
keep active. And the side benefits are equally important:
Many volunteers state they have a lot of fun.
PATIENT CARE
Hospital settings have always been a haven for
retired nurses to give back. In the days of candy
stripers, young ladies could gain experience working
alongside staff to determine if a nursing career was
right for them. Today, simple but necessary tasks can
be done by anyone willing to lend a hand.
Tradition Medical Center’s Emergency Department is
supported by volunteers from the Martin Health Auxiliary
who interact with patients on a customer-service
level, meeting needs to keep the patients comfortable >>
34 Port St. Lucie Magazine