Community Stories

June 10, 2022

Food for Hope volunteer Gina and her daughter deliver five meals to a senior.

 

In its third week of deliveries, Food for Hope is already making a difference in the lives of seniors, beyond the meals themselves.

Heart2Heart Volunteer Coordinator Antonella Salerno saw the impact firsthand when she made her own weekly delivery to a woman in the community. 

“She started crying,” Antonella said. “She was very thankful for the meals.”

Heart2Heart delivered meal packages to 14 seniors in the community in that first week. Steadily, that number has grown. Twenty-one seniors were blessed in week two, and 28 seniors are slated to receive meal packages this week. The number will increase to at least 31 by next week.

“We’ve been encouraged by the way volunteers have stepped up,” Antonella said. “Our goal was to bless 50 seniors with five meals a week in this pilot year, and we’re on our way to meeting that.”

One woman who stepped up is Alexandria Allen. She became a volunteer just three weeks ago, after she saw her friend post Heart2Heart’s request for delivery volunteers on Facebook.

“I never really thought about volunteering,” she explained. “But I saw the post and thought, ‘I can do that. I can definitely do deliveries.’”

In her first few weeks as a Heart2Heart volunteer, Alexandria made two deliveries: to a woman living on her own in North Lauderdale and to a couple in Margate. 

Alexandria said she tends to have a natural rapport with older adults, perhaps given her many interactions with seniors in the past. 

“They seem to love me. I don’t know what it is,” she said. “We just start talking, and they get really comfortable with me.” 

The senior in North Lauderdale was not an instant convert when Alexandria delivered her first batch of five meals.

“She was really standoffish. You could tell she was really nervous about the whole situation,” Alexandria said. 

Alexandria joked about getting a speeding ticket on the way over to make the delivery. That broke the ice.

“She sat me down and explained. I heard her testimony, and that was it: We were crying, and we were laughing,” she said.

Alexandria now checks in with her new friend regularly, just to spend time with her. Older adults are not a difficult puzzle, after all.

“They just want someone who’s generally trying to be nice,” she said. 

Alexandria said she’s also had a positive experience picking up the food from Ofterdahl’s, whose Hand-off Foundation is partnering with Heart2Heart to provide the food. The staff is helpful and fast.

“That’s been amazing, because I try to make the deliveries in a three-hour window while my daughter’s in VPK,” she said. 

The recipients of the food have been grateful as well.

“They’re all smiles and excited to see what they got, because the food is really good,” Alexandria said.

She recently added a third delivery, to a woman living in Margate.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk with her yet,” she said. “But she’s so cute and so nice. I know I’m going to be cool with her, too.”

Heart2Heart still needs volunteers and donors for the Food For Hope program. Volunteers pick up directly from Offerdahl’s and drop off five meals to at least two seniors once a week. For more information, click here.

 

Join the Team!

Becoming a Heart2Heart volunteer means that you are dedicated to serving the aging community. It means you want to connect in a meaningful way to a specific individual or to several people. It means you are committed to a consistent amount of time per month – whether that’s several hours a week or just a few hours per month.

Heart2Heart volunteers must be background checked and trained. Our training can be completed from your home on your computer or device, through the online Volunteer Portal. We run fingerprints in our office in Fort Lauderdale, and you can schedule an appointment with us after you finish the training.

The first step is to create an account on our Volunteer Portal. To get started, click here!

Read more …

Heart2Heart Volunteers Launch Relief Care Program to Support CaregiversTeens Bring Holiday Joy to Seniors

Heart2Heart Volunteers Launch Relief Care Program to Support CaregiversTeens 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/

Teens Bring Holiday Joy to Seniors

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 

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 

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