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| Joe and Karen Sprumont |
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
- Helen Keller
If one is searching for a volunteer opportunity, a retirement community
may not be their initial thought. “What could that possibly offer me?” But for those willing to take the chance, it
can offer a wealth of opportunity. Karen
Sprumont experienced these opportunities first-hand. Her journey with Redstone began when she
accepted a position as a receptionist at our North Huntingdon community. Working
every other weekend she began to feel a strong sense of community with the residents,
staff, and resident family members at Redstone, leaving her with a desire to
spend more time and contribute more. So,
Karen began to volunteer in the gift shop, offering her upbeat personality and
contagious smile. Shortly after she
began volunteering in this capacity, the gift shop coordinator resigned leaving
a vacancy in the position. Karen knew
that she was a perfect fit for the job, given her extensive retail experience
and recent volunteerism there. She applied
and was offered the position, which she gladly accepted.
With her new title, Karen brought a breath of fresh air and enthusiasm
into the gift shop. Her caring and
compassionate nature allows her to go above and beyond the call of duty, making
each customer feel special. Karen’s
“Meal Deals” have become a well-known phenomenon throughout the North
Huntingdon community. Whenever it is
“Hot Dog Day” she dons a hot dog hat and has an array of catchy jingles to sing
to each and every customer.
Although Karen does a spectacular job running the gift shop, sometimes
it requires more than one pair of hands.
Due to her fantastic personality Karen easily recruited resident
volunteers internally, as well as externally from the community. One of those volunteers is her husband, Joe
Sprumont.
Joe recently retired and found himself with extra time on his hands,
and he thought “what better way to spend that time than with my wife?” So he chose to volunteer in the gift shop
weekly with Karen, and he loves it! Joe
enjoys interacting with the residents, staff, and families just as much as
Karen does. He did say, however, that he had to adjust to having Karen as his
boss at Redstone. Since she has been his boss at home for the
last 30 years though, it was not much of an adjustment. Karen reports that Joe is an exceptional
volunteer because he is trustworthy and personable. She also admires that he is the only man to
volunteer in the gift shop.
We can all take a note from Karen and Joe to keep our minds open to new
experiences and opportunities. You may
find that a retirement community is the perfect place to offer your talents,
either as a volunteer or an employee.
And who knows…you, too, may end up working side by side with your
spouse!
