Wow! 90 or older and still volunteering
These volunteers at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn are between 90 and 94 years old. They are, standing in the back row, from left, Walter Trifari, Charles Bell, Milton Katz, William Bauer, Bob Kirsch; middle row, from left, Bob Bodkin and Frank Quattrocchi; and seated in the front row, from left, Rose Repke, Edna Pascale and Arlene Miller. (May 5, 2011) Credit: Heather Walsh
Call them the Tenacious Ten or the Vivacious Volunteers -- either moniker applies to these Long Island seniors who have clocked tens of thousands of hours and a combined 190 years volunteering at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn.
What makes these 10 volunteers especially worthy of praise is that they are all age 90 or older. Several were patients there and signed up after they were discharged, grateful for the care they received. Others, like so many retirees who volunteer, wanted to do something meaningful with their free time.
These nonagenarians, ages 90 to 94, were honored May 13 at the hospital's annual volunteer luncheon at the Woodbury Country Club. They are among the 494 volunteers who donated a total of 75,578 hours of their time to the hospital last year.
"They're an inspiration to the other volunteers," says Barry Baretela, director of volunteer services. "When I have a lot of the young kids who come in to volunteer in the hospital and they see these people, they can't believe [how old they are] . . . because they don't act their age . . . They're just full of life."
They can be found everywhere around the hospital in their pale green smocks -- transporting patients, performing clerical work or helping to organize fundraising events.
And Baretela expects to add to their ranks soon. "We have four in the bullpen who'll be 90 by next year," he says, "and there may be more hiding out there."Meet St. Francis Hospital's Golden Volunteers:
Walter Trifari, 90
Garden City Park, retired dress buyer for JC Penney
Years volunteering: 30
Duties: Clerical office work, one day a week.
The reward: "My wife [Anne, who is 89] and I are both volunteers here. We really enjoy coming. We've met a wonderful group of people and gotten very friendly with them because we come on the same day. You get a lot more out of this volunteering than you give."
Edna Pascale, 92
Port Washington, retired clerk
Years volunteering: 50
Duties: Information desk, one day a week. "After my kids went away to college, that's when I started here."
The reward: "Just talking to the people and interacting with the people you work with. I have a good group. They're wonderful."
Bob Kirsch, 90
Port Washington, ran car rental companies
Years volunteering: 3
Duties: Patient transport. "As I wheel them out, sometimes they're a little depressed, and sometimes they've got an ache here, an ache there. I tell them, 'Think you're feeling well, and you will feel well. And if you think you're old, you are old, so make sure you think you're young.' "
The reward: "Being active makes me feel young. Over here, I feel I'm doing a little help for somebody. I enjoy doing that. It's some sort of feeling of accomplishment."
William Bauer, 91
New Hyde Park, retired purchasing manager
Years volunteering: 29
Duties: Admitting, two days a week.
The reward: "I do filing, and sometimes I'll take a new patient to their room. If I go there, I tell them that the TV is there and that the nurse should be there in a few minutes to take care of them. I try to try to make them relax as much as possible. People are very nice, and people are very appreciative."
Arlene Miller, 94
Greenvale, worked in budget and payroll for the city court system
Years volunteering: 32 (has served 32,000 hours)
Duties: Treasurer for The Guild, a volunteer-run fundraising arm that supports the hospital; works at least three days a week.
The reward: "It's very rewarding. . . . I've been a patient here, and I know how good it is." Volunteering "takes your mind off yourself. . . . It's wonderful for people who have the time and the ability to get around. It's great and I highly recommend it."
Milton Katz, 92
Port Washington, retired sales rep in the silverware industry
Years volunteering: 6
Duties: Heart Center waiting room, one day a week or more.
The reward: "I get up and walk around and talk to the families, and I try to help them. I like the work, and then because I'm so close, five minutes away, I get calls . . . somebody can't make it today. Can you come in? So I will come in and do whatever has to be done."
Charles Bell, 93
Sea Cliff, retired pharmacist who worked in the hospital's pharmacy for 18 years
Years volunteering: 6
Duties: Patient relations, one day a week. A baritone, he performs with the Long Island Harmonizers, a barbershop chorus, at Christmas in the hospital lobby. The show is aired on TVs in the patients' rooms.
The reward: "I just like to interface with people and converse with them and try to lift their spirits. Occasionally, I meet somebody I actually know, and that makes it even easier. I like to think of St. Francis as a home away from home because the marvelous aura and atmosphere is so loving and caring."
Rose Repke, 91
East Williston, retired travel agent
Years volunteering: 10
Duties: Pastoral care, twice a week. Every New Year's Eve, she and a friend don formal attire and visit people in the hospital. "When they ask, 'Where are you going?' we say, 'We've come to see you.' It makes for a very happy time for them and for us."
The reward: "I call it The Great Escape. We really escape for the time we're here from old age because we feel worthwhile . . . .We laugh with the patients, and we cry with the patients, and that is so special. I do thank God every day that I get to come here."
Frank Quattrocchi, "90-plus"
Jericho, retired claims adjuster
Years volunteering: 15
Duties: Heart Center waiting room, one day a week.
The reward: "I had two triple bypass operations, so they [the medical staff] extended my life 22 years. I would have been gone at 69. I had to give something back to the hospital, without a doubt. I talk to the families who are waiting for information from the surgeon. When they find out that I'm 90 years of age, I've gone through two surgeries, and I've survived both surgeries, they're not as apprehensive as they were. We allay their fears regarding their surgeries."
Bob Bodkin, 92
Great Neck, owned a Great Neck antique store for 33 years
Years volunteering: 9
Duties: Patient transport, one day a week.
The reward: "I've been hospitalized many times . . . with different procedures . . . . About 12 years ago, I had a triple bypass. About two years after that, I was here for some other procedure, and my wife brought me an application [to volunteer]. I thought it was time to pay back what St. Francis had given me: a new life. It's the right thing to do, and I've been doing it ever since."
