Community Stories
Heart2Heart is at its best when within meaningful one-on-one connections: one volunteer bringing love, hope and purpose to one senior who is lonely. These are the stories of Heart2Heart volunteers who are making all the difference in the lives of our aging saints.
You can join their efforts! You can help bring joy to seniors in homes and in care centers throughout South Florida who are battling isolation.
Volunteer Goes the Extra Mile to Help Seniors
Greg Bartolai, 52, of Coconut Creek, goes the extra mile for seniors. Not only does he deliver meals to seniors through Heart2Heart’s Food for...
John and Lynn Offerdahl deliver Food for Hope meals
John and Lynn Offerdahl saw firsthand how the meals made in their restaurants nurtured a relationship between Heart2Heart volunteers and seniors in...
Volunteer cares through homemade meals and dominoes
Damaris Pena cooks a homemade meal for a senior couple once a week, but her visits are not about the food. What’s more important is the time...
Volunteers Rally to Help a Senior Get Better Sleep
The strength of community translated to a comfortable night of sleep in a new bed for a senior named Sherri. Three Heart2Heart volunteers...
Annual report: Heart2Heart’s reach doubled in 2022
In 2022, Heart2Heart volunteers reached twice as many seniors as they had the year before. A total of 7,361 seniors were impacted by the work...
Volunteer of the Month personalized blankets for seniors
After 12-hour shifts at work, Sofia Weiner would spend an hour of her evening sewing names to personalize donated blankets for seniors. She...
Volunteer of the Month Prioritizes Giving Back
Every Saturday morning, Nicole Matthews spends time with two seniors before visiting her own mom at a nursing home. We named her the December...
Volunteer Leads Grassroots Outreach to Seniors
After Yezi Williams left her full-time job to prioritize her family, she wanted a way to serve her own community. She took the initiative and...
Volunteering with seniors gave Nohemy hope to persevere
Nohemy Rosada has perservered through tumultuous times because of relationships she made with seniors while...
Samara Rawls awarded $2,000 Heart2Heart Scholarship
Samara Rawls is the recipient of Heart2Heart High School C.A.R.E. Scholarship, claiming $2,000 towards her higher education. Samara was...
RED Gala raised $140,298 for South Florida seniors
The 2022 RED Gala raised $140,298 to support Heart2Heart’s ongoing outreach to South Florida seniors. “We had a great night,” Heart2Heart CEO...
Volunteer of the Month Gina Bell is blessed through serving
Our volunteer of the month for November is Gina Bell, who goes above and beyond by spending extra time with seniors when she delivers Food for Hope...
Volunteer of the Month finds her passion
Cecilia Pardo, our Volunteer of the Month for October, has volunteered with us for a little over a month, but she’s already made a big impact on the...
Heart2Heart partners to bring Lumo Bible films to seniors
Local seniors will be able to experience the gospel of Jesus with a fresh perspective, thanks to a new partnership between Heart2Heart Outreach and...
Chen Medical connects with seniors for a Volunteer Day
The staff of Chen Senior Medical Center closed their 10 offices in Broward County on Sept. 21 so staff could spend the afternoon volunteering in the...
Volunteer of the Month: Robert Cole
Robert Cole, our Volunteer of the Month for September, leads thought-provoking conversations about God with seniors in local care centers. He uses a...
Early bird tickets for the RED Gala are almost gone
The 2022 RED Gala, Heart2Heart’s premier fundraising event set for Thursday, Nov. 10, is fast approaching. The window to buy early bird...
Impact two seniors, one now and one in the future
How can you bring a smile to a lonely senior AND bless someone else with a critical need in the future? You can give $4 a month to the 4.1.1....
Manor Oaks seniors give back by cleaning shoes
The senior residents at Fort Lauderdale care center took time to give back to their community by cleaning donated shoes for kids last week. ...
Volunteer of the Month: Christina Paschal
Heart2Heart’s volunteer of the month for August is 14-year-old Christina Paschal, who made daily visits to assist an older woman in her final days....
Lucas Pagel wins $1,500 Heart2Heart scholarship
Deadline for the final two scholarships is Aug. 31 Lucas Pagel is the sophomore winner of the Heart2Heart High School C.A.R.E. Scholarship, winning...
Volunteers of the Month say goodbye to a friend
Heart2Heart volunteers Lore Nosenzo and Yanina Rocco have faithfully visited the seniors at Manor Oaks in Fort Lauderdale for the last three years....
Seniors learn about technology at Kings Point
Seniors at Kings Point in Tamarac experienced virtual reality, learned about technology and discussed their legacies during a Lunch and Learn event...
A chance encounter becomes an opportunity to serve
Heart2Heart volunteer Lori Schlueb was at a diner near her house when she first saw Mary Lou. The older woman looked very thin and walked...
Featured Volunteers
Nohemy
Nohemy is a sweet senior whom we met because she worked in the building where Heart2Heart is located. We saw how hard she worked, and it pained us that she spent so much of her earnings on bus fare to get to work.
Heart2Heart did something about it. We raised $3,000 on Nohemy’s behalf to help her purchase a 2005 Kia Sorento. Now, Nohemy uses that same car Heart2Heart bought as a volunteer.
Linda
Linda is 65 and lives in a nursing home due to a condition called dystonia, which causes her muscles contract uncontrollably. Linda’s only living relatives are cousins who live in other parts of the country.
Two years ago, Heart2Heart volunteer Erin Sitton began visiting Linda. Soon, they formed a deep connection, to the point where Erin and her husband Andy consider Linda family.
