Senior Companions Recognized for Their Golden Hearts
What do Lauren Smalls, Denise Jones, and Carmen Rodriguez have in common? They were all honored at SAGES’s Annual Golden Hearts Award Ceremony, designed to recognize individuals in Tampa Bay who dedicate their time to making an outstanding difference in the lives of seniors.
Lauren, Denise, and Carmen are on a mission to ensure seniors in Pinellas County seniors always have a friend who cares by dedicating their time to build connection, community, and friendship with elders who are at risk of isolation.
Health Buddy Pamela Roberts is a “2024 Hero Among Us”
Pamela Roberts was among a select group recognized as The 2024 Heroes Among Us Congressional Award Winners in Florida’s 12th District. Winners were recognized for making a positive impact through their volunteerism, acts of kindness, and extraordinary service to others.
Pamela spent many years as a nurse, dedicating her life to caring for others. After retiring, her passion for service continued, but her declining vision limited her options until she discovered Health Buddies, a perfect virtual opportunity for those with low vision.
Now, Pamela uses her healthcare expertise and compassion to support isolated seniors with chronic conditions. Through weekly phone calls, she provides encouragement and health coaching, empowering her clients to take charge of their well-being and proving that one can still make a meaningful impact despite challenges.
Seniors in Service Honored as Lightning Community Hero
Seniors in Service was proud to be recognized as a 2024 Lightning Community Hero for our dedicated Classroom Grandparents who instill confidence in struggling students. Classroom Grandmas, Rebecca Bray and Edith Shepherd were honored to accept the $50,000 donation to Seniors in Service on behalf of all the 200+ Classroom Grandparents who are instrumental in helping the next generation succeed in school and beyond.
Grandma Shepherd shared, “Words cannot express how honored and special I felt for what was bestowed upon me at the Lightning game. It was my first time at Amelie Arena. How exciting it was to meet some of the players and to have taken a photo with one of them. It was a very memorable evening shared with warm, beautiful people-one that I shall never forget.”
Classroom Grandma Margaret was honored as a Hillsborough County Public Schools Volunteer of the Year. She serves in Ms. Dufault’s Kindergarten class at Colson Elementary helping children learn their letters, numbers, and sounds. Grandma Margaret is helping the kids in her classroom build confidence as young learners.
Operation: Veteran Connect was recognized by Volunteer Florida for Excellence in engaging veterans, volunteers, donors, and organizations to empower veterans, active military members and their families for positive health, mental wellbeing, and long-term success.
Health Buddies Program Manager Aria Garling had the honor of presenting a poster on Health Buddies at the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in Tampa. This prestigious event hosts over 4,000 anthropologists from around the globe. Aria introduced attendees to the concept of “Companionship as Medicine.”
Teaching the Art of Volunteer Recruitment!
1900+ volunteers and counting! Seniors in Service’s impressive record of volunteer recruitment and engagement earned our team the opportunity to present best practices for community engagement at the 2024 AmeriCorps Seniors Convening. The team shared tips on effective tabling, engaging activities like volunteer bingo, and the importance of sharing our passion for service with the community. Their enthusiasm left attendees saying, “OMGOODNESS! What a great group. The energy and passion of the presenters was electrifying! I left with so many fantastic ideas. I wish my whole team could see this!”