Village Insider News for Members & Volunteers October 2022
MEMBER & VOLUNTEER PICNIC RECAP Despite some residual rain from Hurricane Ian, more than 50 members and volunteers gathered earlier this month at Seneca Creek State Park to get reacquainted with one another, play games, and enjoy delicious fried chicken and potluck sides and desserts. The temperature was in the 50s, but with the addition of a roaring bonfire inside the covered pavilion, we were all as snug as a bug in a rug! The highlight of the afternoon was recognizing five outstanding volunteers. The Roberta Gosier award, given in memory of the Village’s founding president and recognizing the person who contributed the greatest number of direct service hours, was presented to Nancy Caporaso. Our four additional “Star Volunteers” for the entire last fiscal year (July 2021-June 2022) with the greatest number of hours directly serving members were Jane Brown, Steve Durako, Brian Eggleston, and Mary Millar. Special thanks are due to our organizing committee volunteers Sue Decker, Laurie Ekstrand, Carolyn Lauer, and Gail McDonald; and to other key volunteers, Gary Begin, Jay Elvove, Art Jaso, Joe Reinhard, and Darren Vieira. Thanks also to Carol Lite for transporting leftover fried chicken to Shepherd’s Table and to the others who stayed at the end to help with cleanup.
MEDICAL NOTE-TAKING Getting a complicated medical diagnosis can be a very confusing time. Sometimes, the amount of information coming from the providers to the patient can be overwhelming, and in the heat of the moment, it's easy for patients to forget all the questions they meant to ask their provider. The Village now has trained volunteer medical note-takers who can help members organize their questions and accompany them to appointments to take careful notes and make sure the appointment has a two-way flow of information. For more information, please contact Vanessa at 240-833-5584 or vanessa.ripps@silverspringvillage.org.
NEW MEMBERS Please welcome new members Abe Blitzer (Sligo Park Hills), Susan Farr (Sligo-Branview), Dhunji Master (Indian Springs), and Gerald Reichlin (Sligo Park Hills).