Volunteers from Bridgeport and Fairfield Honored at The Jewish Home with Trumbull, Wilton attendees
July 10, 2008

Photo caption, from left to right:

2008 Volunteer of the Year with CEO Andrew H. Banoff: Shirley Zwecker, Bridgeport, received the 2008 Volunteer of the Year Award from Andrew H. Banoff, President & CEO of The Jewish Home for the Elderly, Fairfield, at the Annual Volunteers Recognition Luncheon

2008 Volunteer of the Year with Family: Shirley Zwecker, 2008 Volunteer of the Year at The Jewish Home for the Elderly, Fairfield, at the Annual Volunteers Recognition Luncheon with Andrew H. Banoff, President & CEO, sister Irene Handleman, Trumbull, daughter Marcy Zwecker, New York, Shirley Zwecker, Bridgeport, daughter Ellen Hausner, New Jersey, sister-in-law Ruth Cohen, Fairfield, daughter-in-law Mary Zwecker, Wilton, son Charles Zwecker, Wilton, and Shelley Berman, Community Relations Coordinator.

Jr. Volunteer Award Recipient: Shelley Berman, Community Relations Coordinator, with Alison Tuckel, Fairfield, this year’s recipient of The Matilda and Julius Fleischer Junior Volunteer of the Year Award presented at the Annual Volunteers Recognition Luncheon of The Jewish Home for the Elderly, Fairfield

FAIRFIELD – The Annual Volunteers Recognition Luncheon, held recently (6/17/08) at The Jewish Home for the Elderly, Fairfield, honored men and women who have dedicated hundreds, even thousands, of hours to enhancing the lives of residents, patients and clients.

“The hours that the volunteers at The Jewish Home for the Elderly give socializing with residents, working in the Gift Shop and Corner Café, transporting individuals in wheelchairs around the Home to medical appointments, recreation activities, the Beauty Salon & Barber Shop, and the Rehabilitation Gym plus the myriad of other interventions never go unnoticed,” said Shelley Berman, Community Relations Coordinator. “It is a privilege for me to support the volunteers throughout the year and a time of tremendous pride when we celebrate together at the Luncheon”.

The Luncheon opened with a benediction by Rabbi Joshua Zlochower, Director of Pastoral Services at the Home, and the blessing over the challah, traditional Jewish bread, by Fran Plotkin, of Bridgeport. Plotkin has volunteered for more than 11,000 hours in Arts and Crafts programs, as tailor for residents’ clothing, as leader of the Yiddish Group, and in the Home’s Adult Day Center.

Andrew H. Banoff, President & CEO of The Jewish Home, expressed his gratitude to all of the volunteers and presented the Volunteer of the Year Award to Shirley Zwecker, of Bridgeport. Zwecker began volunteering at the Home in February 1986. She has dedicated over 5,467 hours to volunteering. Zwecker is a sales associate in the Gift Shop, takes inventory of merchandise, manages the Shop’s finances, supervises training of new Gift Shop volunteers, and represents her department at the Volunteers Leadership Advisory Council meetings.

“What I like most about volunteering in the Gift Shop is when residents come in to purchase something for themselves or to buy a gift,” said Zwecker. “Whether they pay with the Bingo Slips they have won or cash, it is a pleasure to see them shopping.”

Zwecker’s connection with The Jewish Home is strengthened by the memory of her father, Adolf Samovitz, a resident who passed away at the age of 104 while preparing for another day of voluntary paid employment in the Home’s Work Activity Center. Samovitz’ and his daughter’s quality time actively spent at the Home continue to be inspiring for all.

Ginger Speicher, of Bridgeport, a volunteer with over 1,000 hours of dedicated service, whose family members are also well-remembered as former residents of the Home, presented The Matilda and Julius Fleischer Junior Volunteer of the Year Award to Alison Tuckel of Fairfield. Tuckel is a recent graduate of Manhattan High School for Girls, an Orthodox Jewish School in the Upper East Side of New York City. Despite the burden of the daily commute to and from Manhattan, Tuckel looked forward to Fridays when she volunteered at the Home assisting in the Main Dining Room and visiting residents one-to-one.

“There is a truism that the more you give, the more you will receive,” said Tuckel when accepting her award. “I have benefited so much from talking with residents and they have enriched my life.” Through Tuckel’s experience, and similar comments from Luncheon attendees, it is clear that the positive influence that the volunteers have on the residents’ lives is only matched by the positive influence that the residents have on the volunteers. The hundreds of people, including the teen volunteers, who devote their time to The Jewish Home, treasure the connection that develops between them and the residents.

“Volunteers are the golden threads of the tapestry that make The Jewish Home shine,” said Florence Sussman, President of the Residents Council, speaking on behalf of all the residents. “This is a wonderful Luncheon,” Sussman continued. “The volunteers deserve this beautiful event for all they do for us every day.”

As Evelyn Ochsner, of Trumbull, a volunteer with over 4,500 hours, announced the names of the volunteers who had reached benchmark levels, applause filled the room. It was truly an inspirational day at The Jewish Home.

“As we look forward to another year of volunteers helping the Home fulfill its mission of enhancing life for generations, we are eager to welcome additional members of our community to our fantastic team of volunteers,“ said Berman. For more information, please contact her at 203-365-6495 or sberman@jhe.org.

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