I have been married to my husband, Bill, for 38 years. We have two children and five wonder­ful grandchildren. Bill and I owned and operated Strykersville Hardware for 30 years. I have worked in retail my whole life. I have a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. My husband has been a volunteer firefighter for longer than we have been married. I am not a member, but I help at the fundraisers. I also have found myself being volunteered for many other projects to assist the fire company. I have enjoyed helping people my whole life. All of the above has molded and prepared me to help others, only now in a totally different arena.

I had the opportunity to witness first-hand, the love and compassion that the Charlotte House volunteers and staff share with residents. My stepfather, Roger Glor, spent his last days at Charlotte House. The staff and volunteers were absolute angels to my “Dad”. He was given better care at Charlotte House than he received at a medical facility where he spent five weeks prior. He was given the dignity that he deserved.

I was so impressed and grateful by what I witnessed, that I completed the volunteer form.

The most difficult aspect of this experience has been overcoming my fear of witnessing death. But that is now overshadowed by the most rewarding part of my volunteerism… “spoiling” the residents. I enjoy getting to know each one and giving them the care, respect and dignity that they too deserve.

If you have compassion, empathy, and good listening skills, you can be a volunteer. Vol­unteering at Charlotte House is beyond rewarding for me. I totally enjoy indulging our residents and I am willing to share my experiences as a family member of a past resident. Thankful is not a strong enough word!

I would love to see more volunteers at Charlotte House! It is wonderful opportunity to help others and give back to the community. We have a great group of volunteers, and I am now part of another family, The Charlotte House Family!