So you bought yourself the newest iPhone, but its functions are a mystery to you. Perhaps you’re hankering for a good book but could use a little help finding one. Or you just got a plot at the Garden Center, but you’re not even sure how to keep a plant alive.
If you live in Laguna Woods, you’re in luck. You’ll find help with all that, thanks to volunteers at the Mac Lab, the library, the Garden Center, and wherever else residents may need assistance.
The Golden Rain Foundation recently held its annual luncheon honoring Laguna Woods volunteers. By the recreation department’s count, more than 400 volunteers packed the Clubhouse 5 Main Lounge to enjoy a lunch of chicken, prime rib and seafood, and to hear the praise and appreciation from Village officials.
“One of the secrets of Laguna Woods Village are the many volunteers hidden in it,” GRF President Jim Hopkins told the crowd.
“You are the heartbeat of Laguna Woods Village,” said Siobhan Foster, CEO of Village Management Services, expressing “heartfelt appreciation for volunteers’ commitment to our Village.”
Marcy Sheinwold, president of the Foundation of Laguna Woods Village, told them that the Village could not function without them: “All the services they provide for the residents are irreplaceable.”
They also save the Village a pretty penny.
Alison Giglio, director of the Recreation and Special Events Department, said in an email that the volunteers’ services save the Village $540,000 in salaries each year.
But let’s hear from the volunteers themselves.
Those from the Village Library occupied four tables at the luncheon.
“We could not function without our volunteers,” said library volunteer Cheryl Beldner.
Shelley Rones noted the rewards of matching residents with favorite books.
“I love exchanging views on books with our residents,” she said. “You meet so many people you would not have met in your own neighborhood. When we see people working through…
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