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.
Teens Bring Holiday Joy to Seniors
This month, we’re celebrating Christ Community Church and their amazing youth group for bringing festive cheer to the seniors at Residential Plaza Blue Lagoon in Miami. Through games like Christmas Bingo, Scrabble, and Dominoes, these teens created a joyful holiday atmosphere, building connections that bridged generations. Their warmth and kindness reminded everyone of the true spirit of community. Thank you, Christ Community Church, for inspiring us all to bring light and love to those who need it most!
Read the story:
https://heart2heartoutreach.org/community-stories/teens-bring-holiday-joy-to-seniors/
Spreading love and joy to seniors this Holiday season
This month, Heart2Heart Outreach and Church United came together for Good Neighbor Day as part of the Love South Florida initiative, spreading joy and connection to seniors in Assisted Living Facilities. Over 50 volunteers, including families, participated in activities like karaoke, fall crafts, and games, creating moments of laughter and heartfelt connections.
More than just a day of fun, the event reminded us all of the importance of ensuring seniors feel seen, valued, and connected. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day unforgettable and proved that love truly has no age limit.
Read the story
https://heart2heartoutreach.org/community-stories/spreading-love-and-joy-to-seniors-this-holiday-season/
Bible Study brings memory care men together in fellowship
Volunteer Juan Ramos leads a men’s Bible study at a memory care facility. The group helped the men at the facility connect and open up as a group.
Not all the men are Christians. All the men have trouble remembering. But Juan lets the Holy Spirit guide his words.
Read the story
https://www.heart2heartoutreach.org/community-stories/Bible-study-memory-care
Join one of our busiest Food for Hope volunteer who delivers meals and hope
Harvey Brisard is the most active of Heart2Heart’s 20 Food for Hope volunteers, delivering meals to 9 seniors each week… and an opportunity for conversation.
However, there is still a great need for more volunteers to help serve the 500 seniors who receive meals each week.
Find out how you can help
https://www.heart2heartoutreach.org/community-stories/our-busiest-Food-for-Hope-volunteer
How Elizabeth Chooses to “Age My Way”
Elizabeth Narain Kersting knows it’s easy to stay home and be lonely. But that’s not how the 71 year old chooses to live.
For Elizabeth and her mother, Florence Kersting, 90, one way to stay social is Heart2Heart’s Age My Way events.
Here’s why she loves Age My Way…
Read Elizabeth’s perspective
The First Birthday Celebration in Years
For nursing student Katrell Johnson, picking up cupcakes and balloons for a resident at Sun Village Homes for her 86th birthday felt like a natural gesture.
For Julia, the ensuing festivities became the first birthday she had celebrated in years.
Read their story
https://www.heart2heartoutreach.org/community-stories/The-First-Birthday-Celebration-in-Years
Volunteer and her Quilting Group Sew Quilts for Seniors
Helping seniors feel love with quilts
Judie Nance and her quilting group have donated more than 150 quilts to seniors in care centers around South Florida. They’ve made smaller quilts that fit on top of wheelchairs and quilts with zippers, buttons, and little animals for seniors in memory care.
“Oh, we’ve had tears and so much gratitude,” Judie said. “It makes you feel good that you could brighten someone’s day, give them something to smile about and to live another day.”
Read the story
Wheelchair Wash Connects Hearts and Boosts Confidence
Sometimes, the key to happiness is shiny wheels and simple conversation.
Members of Parkridge Church teamed up with Heart2Heart to host a wheelchair and walker wash at Park Summit Senior Living in Coral Springs.
They set up something like a car wash in a sliver of sunshine. They tied ribbons on the newly cleaned wheelchairs, and the seniors bragged about the free service for the rest of the day.
Read the story
Student Volunteers and Seniors Connect at Sun Village Homes
Nursing student Maria Namendy shares he experiences volunteering at Sun Village Homes in Hialeah.
She’s learned the power of giving seniors a voice — just by listening to their stories.
She’s just one example of how West Coast University students are making a difference.
Read the story
https://www.heart2heartoutreach.org/community-stories/student-volunteers-at-sun-villiage-homes
College Student Excited for More Friendships with Seniors as Food for Hope Relaunches
We are excited to have 22-year-old Fabiola Metezier return as a meal delivery volunteer as Food for Hope relaunches.
Fabiola forged two close friendships during the Food for Hope pilot program, back in 2021. She shared with us why those Frederick and Beverly became so special to her.
Read her story
118 Volunteers Needed as Food for Hope Relaunches
Food for Hope is BAAACK!!! And the volunteer-led meal delivery program is bigger than ever!
So we need your help!
To deliver meals to Broward County seniors, we need 118 volunteers to give 2-3 hours each week.
This month, our CEO Juan Gallo made a special appeal to Broward County churches for this community-wide effort.
Read about the (relaunched!) Food for Hope
Big Ideas and Small Acts of Kindness
We were inspired by the story of Rashaad Green, an inspirational student we met at a college volunteer fair. At 22 years old, he is helping homeless people, including a 64-year-old senior, and he’s started a club that will bring art therapy to seniors. He dreams of one day curing cancer and opening a permanent and temporary housing facility for the homeless.
The Glamorous Stories of a 1940s Broadway Dancer
Lillian Flowers is 98. She lives alone in Fort Lauderdale.
She used to dance on Broadway.
While volunteer Steve Retford is helping her get services she needs, he gets a front row seat to glamorous stories from Broadway, filled with famous theater producers, celebrities (she dated Dean Martin briefly), and traveling through a life of show biz.
We extended his front row seat so you can listen to Lillian’s stories too.
Heart2Heart Welcomes New Staff — in a New Space!
In case you haven’t met them in person yet, we introduced the new additions to our team:
– Rosevel “Rosie” Castro, outreach coordinator
– Peighton Stone, dietician and intern with us from Nova Southeastern University for eight weeks
Some of our team got new roles, too. Check out all the details about that — and our new office!
Senior shares memory of winning Olympic Gold
Our seniors are full of fascinating stories. Lucky for our Heart2Heart volunteers, one of the most powerful ways they can help seniors is to spend...
Volunteers Deliver Christmas Miracle to Seniors
Right before Christmas, Heart2Heart volunteers delivered a bounty of food to senior Cecilia Gannon and her husband, James. “The way Heart2Heart came...
Senior Finds Joy and Purpose through Volunteering
After retiring in 2020, life felt like an extended vacation for Eileen Kent, 76, of Cooper City. But after about two years, it wasn’t much fun...
Boys Bring Holiday Cheer to Seniors
A troop of boys singing Christmas carols brought smiles to the seniors at Coral Plaza Margate on Dec. 2. The boys, all dressed in their army...
How Our Patient Advocates Make a Difference
This year, Heart2Heart hired two patient advocates — Maria Purgavie and Shirley Ramos. Since July, they became responsible for connecting with...
The Heartbeat of an Outreach
Malcolm Mcallister holds a special place in the story of Heart2Heart. It wasn’t just that he developed close-knit friendships with our...
Dependable and Kind: How One Volunteer Kept a Senior Mobile
All her life, Barbara Giannou has been active and independent. Even being born deaf never stood in her way. But when mounting medical...
Activity director spills the secrets to staying active
You could say that Ellyn Fishbach is an expert at staying active through the golden years. For one, she waited until after retirement to begin...
Daughter Feels Grateful for Help in between Treasured Moments
In his younger days, Vinal Thomas was a vibrant, pew-jumping pastor. He and his late wife helped plant nearly 30 churches, and he constantly...
Celebrating Self Care through staying active
Marie Perry, 65, has stayed young through staying active. As we celebrate Self-Care Awareness Month, we asked for her perspective on taking care of...
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.
