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Caring for Others:
John's Story
(Sidebar in original publication)
My name is John Garino. I volunteer at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Totowa, New Jersey. Little Sisters of the Poor is a nursing home run by the nuns from the Catholic church. I volunteered there from 1993-1997 and came back again in 2001. I chose to volunteer at the Little Sisters of the Poor because I was familiar with the people and other volunteers there. I participate in many church functions. I like to be around Fr. Doyle and the others. I also attend mass twice a week.
When I volunteer I get there around 10:00 a.m. and stay until 2:00 p.m. When I arrive I go to the break room and have a cup of coffee with a snack with some of the residents. I then go downstairs to the laundry room and fold towels and put them in order by color. I also fold sheets and pillowcases and separate them into colors. The other thing I enjoy doing is to go visit a woman on the second floor. She is one of the ladies who resides there. When I go to visit we sit down and just talk about our families or what else is going on that day. I really like spending time with her. I enjoy her friendship as well as she enjoys mine.
Volunteering is very fulfilling for me. I am able to help other people and meet a lot of new friends. And it gives me the confidence to keep a competitive job at an A&P supermarket as a bagger.
Contributed by John Garino and by Frances Curley with Community Options, Morristown, New Jersey.
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Resources: Resources and Related ICI Publications
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Citation: Shoultz, B., Miller, E.E., & Ness, J. (2001). Impact: Feature Issue on Volunteerism by Persons with Developmental Disabilities, 14(2) [online]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Available from http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/142/. __________ Hard copies of Impact are available from the Publications Office of the Institute on Community Integration. The first copy of this issue is free; additional copies are $4 each. You can request copies by phone at 612-624-4512 or E-mail at icipub@umn.edu, or you can fax or mail us an order form. See our listing of other issues of Impact for more information. The print design version (PDF, 448K, 28 pp.) of this issue of Impact is also available for free, complete with the color layout and photographs. This version looks the most like the newsletter as it was printed. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.
