Community service and so much more

Pictured, left to right, Dina Melnikova and Melanie Duhamel. /Photo | Susan Adler

Melanie Duhamel, a senior at Hartwick College, in Oneonta, New York, offers the following comments on being a volunteer:

“The main reason I started volunteering at the To Life Center Adult Day Services and The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry was because I was trying to fulfill a community service goal for school, but it turned into much more than that for me. It became a positive and enjoyable thing to fill my time with, and I looked forward to it every day. Volunteering has always been important to me and working with the clients, staff and other volunteers at the day center and the pantry opened me up to an entirely new population of people that I had never had the opportunity to work with. Each and every day was filled with laughter, stories, and fun, and I learned so many invaluable life lessons.

“Through giving my time, I gained so much more than I ever imagined – friendships, a deeper sense of compassion and a better understanding of just how much a smile can do for someone else. I’ve never met a group of people that has captured my heart so completely and I will always be grateful to have been a part of some of the amazing things that Jewish Seniors Agency does to give back to the community.”

Susan Adler, director of the To Life Center Adult Day Services and the Kosher Food Pantry, commented on her time with Melanie, “Everyone at the To Life Center Adult Day Services and the kosher pantry truly enjoyed getting to know Melanie. She was an amazing asset while she was volunteering. Both the staff and clients truly fell in love with her and admired Melanie’s hard work and dedication. We all look forward to her return after graduation with her cap and gown on so we can kvell over our Melanie.”

For information about the To Life Center Adult Day Services or the Kosher Food Pantry contact Susan Adler at 401-621-5374 or sadler-jeri@jsari.org. Both programs are a partner agency of the Jewish Alliance.