Lend A Hand of Boulder City could not exist without all of their wonderful volunteers to serve the needs of their clients. We wanted to share this month’s Volunteer Spotlight on Candace Friedman with all of you:
In 2011 my life changed drastically! I retired from teaching first grade (although I was only 58) and my husband had prostate cancer surgery. The surgery was successful so at the age of 71 he continued to work and I was left to figure out what to do without a job! I knew very little about our town Boulder City where we had lived since 1995 because I spent my time teaching and with friends in Henderson and Las Vegas. We had also had some tough years with our parents in bad health in Illinois with no close friends, relatives or support group to check on them. With those memories of our parent’s struggles I opened the Boulder City Review and saw an ad for Lend a Hand seeking volunteers. The message was clear, I needed to get involved.
I cannot begin to tell you how these hours I now spend with the elderly and disabled have blessed my life! From the people I drive I have heard history as it was lived, the old days of Boulder City, the Dust Bowl, WW2, watching the Atomic Bomb testing and my favorite the single women who had careers during the days when women were supposed to get married, to handle household chores and raise a family. I also spent many hours reading to a man with limited vision. We had a great time reading Desert Companion Magazine and Andrew Kiraly’s editorials.
The people I have met as a volunteer have always been gracious and thankful for our services. They are a part of me when they leave my car. Some I may never see again. But I have their stories and memories and a lot of love in my life from just that drive! Happily I have noticed that the clients nowadays are more likely to have family who check on them and are attentive to their needs.
Hopefully, we can all be aware of and attentive to the people who need us to Lend a Hand.
