THE GARDENS OF ST. FRANCIS, a member of CHI Living Communities that offers long-term care, assisted living, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation services in Oregon, Ohio, is seeking dedicated volunteers to help enrich residents’ lives and assist the staff in a wide variety of capacities throughout the campus.
Rosanne Kalinowski, Activities Director at The Gardens of St. Francis, explains, “Volunteers are a vital part of our team, and we work closely together to enhance the quality of life for our residents. They’re essentially an extension of our hands, providing a lot of the extras our residents deserve.”
Kalinowski notes that volunteering at the facility was largely shut down for the past few years due to COVID, but with things finally opening up again, the staff hopes not only to welcome back prior-serving volunteers, but also to attract new volunteers to join the Gardens of St. Francis family. “We want to give everyone the opportunity to share their God-given talents to enrich the lives of others,” she says.
In the Activities Department, for example, volunteers might assist residents in activities such as bingo, card games, or crafts, or serve as escorts for activities, such as musical performances, going out to eat, taking in a movie, shopping, or other community events and attractions. Or, they might just spend a little oneon-one time with residents, sharing friendly conversation, playing card or board games, putting a jigsaw puzzle together, or helping them correspond with loved ones.
Kalinowski adds, “One of the things we really love to do in the summer months when the weather allows is to take residents outside to enjoy the warmth and sunshine. Some of our residents need supervision for safety, so we need volunteers who are willing to accompany them either strolling around the grounds or just sitting and spending time together. We also have a beautiful pond out back that several residents love to go fishing in, so we need volunteers to escort them to and from the pond and help them fish.”
Kalinowski also encourages students whose school requirements include volunteer community service to serve some of their hours at The Gardens of St. Francis. “That sort of intergenerational interaction would greatly benefit our residents and the students alike, so we would love to have them!” she says.
Being a faith-based community with the mission of “making the healing presence of God known in our world,” The Gardens of St. Francis offers regular prayer and worship services, including Catholic Mass four times a week, which opens up numerous spiritual care volunteering opportunities. Examples include escorting residents to and from the chapel, serving as a lector or cantor, Eucharistic ministry, altar linen ministry, and many others.
Volunteers are also needed to serve a ministry of presence for residents who are ill or in the final stage of life. “Sometimes at the end of life’s journey, having someone there to pray or just be present can be a great comfort,” Kalinowski says.
The Gardens of St. Francis is located at 930 S. Wynn Road in Oregon, Ohio. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please call 419-698-4331 and ask to speak with Rosanne Kalinowski. Volunteer applications are also available at the front door of the facility. Volunteer opportunities abound, so if you have a talent you’d like to share or just a heart for serving the senior population, The Gardens of St. Francis would like to hear from you. ✲
The opportunities for volunteers at The Gardens of St. Francis are virtually limitless.
