Volunteering Opportunities Abound at Saint Josephs’s Medical Center
By Jackee Cannino
Saint Joseph’s Medical Center is located in South Yonkers. It serves Lower Westchester and Northern Bronx -- and is the only Catholic hospital remaining in the County. Although Saint Joseph’s is considered a “small” hospital, the impact on the community it serves has been large and long lasting. And volunteers are an integral part of this impact.
Saint Joseph’s was founded in 1888 by the Sisters of Charity of New York, who have been a part of this Community since before the Civil War. Although the hospital struggled in its early years, an endowment fund, established by Saint Joseph’s Aid Society Women’s Auxiliary, helped fund the hospital’s mission of caring for those community residents who are both sick and poor. As Yonkers grew, so did Saint Joseph’s, and by the 1930’s a new wing was built.
Saint Joseph’s is a teaching hospital, supporting Resident medical students in many of its departments. Each of its seven floors has approximately twenty-one beds. Volunteers are assigned to specific floors and departments, according to patients’ needs. The many specialized programs included at the hospital are family medicine and wound care, in-patient and outpatient behavioral health services, cardiology, and orthopedics, among others.
I learned more about this very special hospital from Maria F. Callarame, External Affairs Manager at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, who has been with them for seventeen years. She began as the office manager for the hospital’s housekeeping department. According to Maria, many of those in the community served by Saint Joseph’s are impoverished. They are often fearful of coming to the hospital due to their limited knowledge of medicine and the medical system. Some individuals do not have family, adding to their feelings of loneliness and isolation. For the reasons listed above and more, mature, caring, volunteers are vital to Saint Joseph’s.
Volunteer Opportunities
Among the volunteer opportunities at Saint Joseph’s is the gift shop. “The gift shop would be closed without volunteers,” Maria said. Any of us who have visited friends and loved ones in the hospital understand the value of a functioning gift shop in a hospital. Volunteers are also needed as greeters and office workers, and in the finance, medical records, and pastoral care departments.
Maria said that many volunteers “don’t know what to expect” from their volunteer experience at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. Volunteers are always welcome to “try it out,” and Maria is committed to mentoring her volunteers. Maria has often supported and assisted successful volunteers seeking employment at the hospital.
Volunteers at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center receive free lunch and
free safe, secure parking. These perks are in addition to the established benefits of volunteering, among them, learning new skills, meeting new people, improving your physical and mental health and well-being, improving your confidence, strengthening your sense of connection to others in the community, showing your commitment, and giving something back.
Volunteers are encouraged to dress casually, although jeans and sweatshirts are not permitted. There is an application process for volunteers, as one would expect, to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved. Volunteers are always needed. If interested, you are encouraged to contact the hospital’s volunteer office at (914) 378-7536
During the summer months, Maria supports many high school and college-aged volunteers. Their time at Saint Joseph’s helps build experiences which they can add to their resumes. Scholarships are also available to support these young volunteers, as many of them come from disrupted families and the welfare system.
Saint Joseph’s Medical Center provides medical care and so much more. It has been a beacon in the Community for 136 years --.and that light seems to shine more brightly with each additional service, program and initiative. They hold a monthly food drive to support Feeding Westchester and accept clothing donations to give to those in need.
The values of the hospital state: “Saint Joseph’s Medical Center believes in respect and compassion for ourselves and others, excellence in service, the dignity of human life, and commitment to the community.”
Adhering to these values allows Maria and her volunteers to continue to support the Community in which Saint Joseph’s Medical Center shines its light. For more information about Saint Joseph’s, I encourage you to visit their website, www.saintjosephs.org
Featured Volunteer Profiles
“In preparation to lead museum gallery experiences, docents attend weekly training sessions featuring guest artists and speakers, behind the scenes tours with curators and museum educators, docent best practice [training], and field trips to area museums and historic sites. In return for their substantial commitment of time throughout the year, the HRM offers its docents museum membership privileges, invitations to exhibition openings, continuing education in art, history, and science, special exhibition previews, use of the Docent Library, and free admission to numerous museums.”
Most of the tours Annette gives are for school groups, library groups, seniors, and walk-in visitors. Her favorite tour is of Glenview, the historic Gilded Age home on the museum’s grounds that was the original site of the museum before the current building was constructed in the 1960s. Glenview has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. The new West Wing was opened to great fanfare in 2023.
Annette loves researching and learning about the new artists on view and their works. She says, “The exhibit turnover keeps the museum fresh and vibrant. A lot of the new exhibits tackle issues of social concern. For instance, the environment, animal protection, human rights, and equality have been the focal points of recent exhibitions. Many of the exhibits are educational from both an historical and current point of view.”
Other tours she enjoys include the permanent collection of the Hudson River School of Art, landscapes, and portraiture.
Annette is very positive on how she approaches the tours she gives. “As docents, we are trained to use an inquiry-based approach while looking at art. Each guided tour covers four or five art works in a one-hour tour. I don’t just lecture, I get the visitors involved, I get people to share what they see and see what more they can find themselves. It makes the tour much more interesting to the visitors when they are engaged.”
Annette volunteers at the museum 2-3 days a week – depending on her own needs and the demand for docents.
Her love of art traces back to her childhood. Indeed, it is “part of my DNA,” she says. She started collecting 40 years ago; the first piece she purchased, a painting, hangs in her apartment among many other works that she and her husband have collected since then. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Pelham Art Center and as Chair for several years. She is now on the Emeritus Board of the Art Center, and she has been a greeter at Untermeyer Gardens since 2019.
Annette Candido – Hudson River Museum
Carol-Ann Cook
Annette Candido
Annette feels that she is “giving back” to the community by being a docent. She feels that she is doing a “public service” by “helping people learn about and experience art.” “It makes me feel good, for example, to see the kids smiling, engaged, and filled with wonder of the things they uncover when looking at a work of art.”
She says the docent role is a “good fit” for her, since she loves the job, the staff, and her immediate supervisors, Saralinda Lichtblau, the Director of Education, and Megan Byrnes, the museum’s Manager of School Programs. “I feel fulfilled and happy with this position. I am very dedicated to the museum,” she says.
Lucille O’Connor – White Plains Hospital
Lucille reaches out to caregivers of patients in the Hospital. She understands the stress of having a loved one hospitalized, and gently meets loved ones “where they are.” She is there to listen to their stories, provide brochures and other resources, offer a bottle of water or box of tissues, as well as stress self-care. Lucille is not a medical professional and does not offer advice nor make recommendations. She does not know the patient’s diagnosis, and it is not relevant to her role as a caregiver support volunteer.
Lucille received robust training in the Caregiver Support Program. After basic training, Lucille was “shadowed” in her rounds by a fully trained volunteer, after which she was “shadowed” by Laura Himmelstein, who is the Coordinator of the Caregiver Support Program. Only then could she provide caregiving on her own.
Lucille receives tremendous fulfillment from her volunteer position. “The caregivers are so overwhelmingly appreciative to learn that ‘strangers’ care about them,” Lucille said. “I’m getting so much by being kind.”
The caregivers’ dedication to their loved ones’ well-being inspires Lucille to keep volunteering in the program. Each day before she visits White Plains Hospital as a volunteer, Lucille says to herself: “Let me meet the people I’m supposed to meet today,” and when she returns home, she is always so thankful that she went.
Carol-Ann Cook – Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services: HIICAP (Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Programs)
When Carol-Ann retired three years ago, she needed to find out about Medicare enrollment for herself. Her inquiries and a Facebook ad brought her to New York State’s HIICAP program. HIICAP is the state health insurance assistance program (SHIP) whose purpose is to educate the public about Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and other health insurance issues, free of charge.
Carol-Ann is currently one of 28 HIICAP counselors in Westchester County, and more are needed. Individual meetings are scheduled and held in person, in designated public libraries. These meetings vary in length. Individuals may be looking to change their healthcare plan; or they may be new to Medicare and receive Medicare 101 training, which can take about 30 minutes.
To become a HIICAP counselor, Carol-Ann participated in on-line training, then was trailed or “shadowed” by an experienced counselor for one year before conducting meetings on her own. She is also required to take a yearly exam to keep up to date on healthcare plans.
Volunteering with HIICAP has brought a new sense of purpose to CarolAnn. She has enjoyed helping people for 30 years, having previously worked in an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) lab.
Elena Angelos – White Plains Hospital
Elena’s involvement with hospital volunteering began at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital (a unit of Westchester Medical Center) in Valhalla after the hospital’s Family Resource Center was named in memory of her sister-in-law. She initially volunteered in the laundry room and then moved to the ED (Emergency Department) at the Westchester Medical Center, and she is currently at White Plains Hospital.
Elena acknowledges that initially, volunteering in the Emergency Department made her nervous. She has since established routines, gained confidence and readily assists newer volunteers. Among Elena’s responsibilities in the ED are stocking gloves, checking on patients and family members, and ensuring that laundry bags are emptied.
“When volunteering in the ED, you more often support family members as the patients are being attended to by medical staff,” Elena says.
In the year and a half that Elena has been volunteering in the Emergency Department, she has found that White Plains Hospital is very supportive of its volunteers. There are open lines of communication between staff and volunteers via emails and conversations. Volunteers are very much appreciated by the Hospital, and administrators are always letting volunteers know this, Elena says.
Lucille O’Connor
Elena Angelos
Lana Hiller – Westchester Community College
Lana Hiller has been a Conversation Partner at Westchester Community College (WCC) for the past 20 years. The Conversation Partners Program helps WCC students whose English is their second language to become more proficient and build confidence in their use of English.
Lana meets once a week, on the WCC campus, with her Conversation Partner for conversation on any number of topics. Over time, her partner will gain in English fluency and confidence in their use of the language.
There are more than 5,000 students from countries all over the world studying at WCC; for many of these students, English is their second language. Many are eager to practice speaking English in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.
Lana taught English in the public school system for 30 years. She finds Conversation Partners very satisfying. “It is a two-way process, where we both learn from each other,” she says. She says she likes this volunteer activity not only because she learns from her conversation partner, but also because “I get to appreciate different cultures, and I want to continue teaching and helping people.”
Lana’s work as a Conversation Partner is highly appreciated at WCC. Here’s a rave review from Parica Mason, Volunteer Services Manager at the college:
“Lana Hiller joined our Conversation Partners Program in 2004. For the past twenty years, Lana has made a profound impact by meeting with over 38 international students one-on-one, providing invaluable support and guidance. Returning to campus each semester, Lana forms genuine friendships with every student she connects with, creating a welcoming environment that fosters both language development and personal growth.”
Before Conversation Partners, Lana volunteered as a docent at the Katonah Museum of Art. The museum still calls on her from time to time. Bottom line, Lana says volunteering gives her “a fuller, more interesting life.”
Michael Moretti is a Graduation Coach at YPIE (Yonkers Partners in Education), where he acts as a mentor to help guide students toward good study habits and assists in their quest for college admission. He meets his student partners at YPIE’s College Zone offices in downtown Yonkers or at Yonkers Middle High School.
Michael brings to YPIE his experience “raising three sons and helping them get into college.” “Being a graduation coach is part of giving back,” he says, “making sure the students stay on a ‘good track’ as much as possible; making sure the student is interested and motivated; and helping them keep their grades up.”
He has been a YPIE graduation coach since early 2022, about 2.5 years now. He went through both online and in-person training to become a YPIE Graduation Coach.
Michael Moretti – YPIE
Lana Hiller
Michael Moretti
Typically, Michael meets in person with his student partner every few weeks, and in the interim keeps in touch with them via phone, email or text message.
Michael is retired from the financial technology world, including many years as head of the New York office of Silicon Valley Bank. Prior to Silicon Valley Bank, he worked with two other banks. During his tenure, he was involved with financing over 100 tech companies, including many startups.
A high percentage of YPIE students are planning for careers in STEM fields, says Moretti. He can help students with that too, since he has a strong tech background.
Asked what he likes about volunteering, Moretti says, “it’s rewarding to share some of my experience with students, to learn more about the student, and to be open and interested in what the student is going through. I try to do as much as I can to help develop the student.”
Not only is he volunteering at YPIE. Michael is also volunteering in several other pursuits. He’s a mentor with Element 46, a technology accelerator for startup businesses in Westchester. He is also volunteering with Make a Wish and doing wildlife conservation work.
Moretti says that volunteering energizes him “to get out of bed every day.” “I’m doing something to give back to our community.”
Joe Rodriguez – YPIE
It’s hard to believe that Joe Rodriguez has the time for all his volunteer activities. Rodriguez, a retired public school teacher (K-12) and principal, balances half a dozen different volunteer projects.
Joe is currently a Graduation Coach for YPIE (Yonkers Partners in Education), the mentor/coaching program that has helped hundreds of Yonkers high school students gain admission to college. His first student graduated from Saunders High School and went on to Boston University. His second is a student at Gorton High School. Joe has been working with YPIE for 8-10 years, with time off in between students.
“Working with YPIE has been a very satisfying experience,” Rodriguez says. “YPIE graduation coaches act as a mentor to their students. You try to encourage good study habits, and you talk to them about other issues they may be having. The students also have access to a guidance counselor.”
Rodriguez also works with the Reading Buddies program at Family Service Society of Westchester (FSSW). He does Reading Buddies one morning each week at an elementary school in Yonkers.
Joe works with very young students, like first graders and third graders. For first graders, he says, “you read them a nice story that they enjoy. Third graders, on the other hand, is really about what they can learn, talking about visuals, and getting them to really enjoy the book. YPIE gives us a wide variety of books that the students can choose from for all ranges of reading difficulty.”
Joe grew up and went to school in South Yonkers, a very diverse neighborhood.
He says that one of his great qualities is that he is a good listener, which helps to make him a good graduation coach. “I have come
to appreciate all different types of personalities, helping answer questions, letting the person come to their own understanding,” he says.
In addition to YPIE and Reading Buddies, Joe also volunteers to deliver meals in Westchester for a Rockland-based organization to people who need extra food; to drive people who need rides, especially to doctors’ appointments; and as a Conversation Partner at Westchester Community College. Further, he does Trail Maintenance at Faunstock State Park and volunteers at the Bear Mountain Zoo.
In addition to all of that, Joe has been a volunteer member of the RSVP Advisory Council for several years, making significant contributions to our programs.
That’s a full plate of volunteering. How does Joe manage all this? “After I retired, I needed something to do with my time, and I wanted to help people. As a volunteer, I enjoy learning from the people I help, for example, as a Conversation Partner, I learn from those I am teaching – for instance, about the culture in their native countries.”
Joe Rodriguez
Holiday Recipes to Delight Your Family and Friends
WE QUERIED OUR RSVP ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HOLIDAY RECIPES THAT BROUGHT BACK FOND MEMORIES. THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAME UP WITH IDEAS THAT CONTINUE TO RESONATE.
Here are their responses.
from Jackee Cannino
In a Sicilian household, as in many homes throughout the world, holidays bring with them food and tradition. My Sicilian roots are deep, as all four of my grandparents were born in Sicily. Both my mother and maternal grandparents were excellent cooks, but I was a very picky eater as a child. In time, I have grown to appreciate their cuisine and enjoy preparing many of their recipes.
A traditional dish, especially during the Christmas holidays, is caponata. Caponata is a flavorful eggplant dish in asagrodolce (sweet and sour) sauce and tastes even better days after it is made. It is often served at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish and is always delicious with a fresh slice of crusty Italian bread.
If you are curious about caponata but may not have the time to prepare it yourself, there are canned versions. Brands such as Progresso, DeLallo, Vanita, and Cento can be found in most supermarkets. Although never as good as homemade (in my opinion), they offer a good introduction. Buon Appetito!!
Caponata
• Saute 2 onions (thinly sliced) and 4 ribs of celery (sliced 1/2 inch thick)
• Add 1 can of hand crushed tomatoes to onions and celery
• Cook until sauce is done, about 30 minutes
• Add 1 C red wine vinegar and 1/2 C sugar to the sauce
• Dice 2 eggplants with skin on, fry in oil
• Roughly chop 1/4 C pitted green Sicilian olives
• Add 2 tbsp capers to the olives
• Add olives and capers to the sauce
• Then add eggplant
• Voila!
APPLE NUT CAKE from Roddy Austin
Here is a recipe for Apple Nut Cake that my Aunt and Mother would make when I was growing up. A favorite of the family then and now. This recipe was often made in the fall with fresh Apples and also around the Christmas holidays. I think there are probably many Apple cake recipes, but this version is a “Texas” version where I grew up as a child.
Apple Nut Cake
(Recipe from my Aunt in Texas)
• 3 cups chopped apples (Granny Smith or other tart Apple)
• 1 Cup pecans chopped (or walnuts, if preferred)
• 3 cups flour (reserve ½ cup to coat nuts before adding to cake mixture)
• 1 tsp. salt ½ Tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda 1 Tsp. Cloves
• 1 ½ Tsp. Cinnamon ¼ cup of Raisins (or more, or Cranberries)
• Mix above ingredients and set aside
• 2 cups sugar (or slightly less if preferred)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tsp. high quality vanilla extract
• Mix these together and then add to other ingredients
• Pour into a greased and floured bunt pan or cake pan
• Bake at 325% for about 11/2 hours until toothpick comes out clean
• Tastes Great!
EGGNOG RECIPE from Jill Harper
I don’t have a favorite recipe. However, during the holidays, my mom used to makev the best eggnog. It was our family tradition to drink on Christmas Eve. Neighbors could not resist stopping by for a glass. I wish I had paid attention to the details. But I found this great recipe online for making eggnog from scratch. It had a video and the instructions can be downloaded. Amazingly Good Eggnog Recipe (allrecipes.com) I’m going to try to recreate the joy this year!
If you are interested in writing an article or submitting a topic for our Spring 2025 Newsletter, please send your ideas to guadalupe@volunteernewyork.org.
Guadalupe Fishman at 914-227-9318 or Guadalupe@volunteernewyork.org for
Photo credit: John Rizzo
