International Theme Created an Exciting Event for Volunteers
FORT MYERS – Shell Point Retirement Community enjoys the benefit of an active volunteer program with more than half of all 1,700 residents participating in some form of volunteer activity. Volunteers are involved in programs that enhance the lifestyle of residents such as the library; drivers for those who can no longer operate a vehicle; greeter’s desks in various locations; AARP tax aides; United Parcel Service; as well as a plethora of arts programs where volunteers teach other residents a variety of skills with clay, glass, paint and wood. Volunteers who are involved with the stamp room recycle thousands of used postage stamps donated to their cause, which has raised over $250,000 for printing textbooks for missionary schools.
Residents of the Pavilion, Shell Point’s skilled nursing, Alzheimer’s, and hospice center, reap the rewards of the ministrations of the Pavilion Auxiliary group, several hundred resident men and women who volunteer to do everything from helping residents eat, to assisting with their menu selections, an outside walking program, to friendly visitors for the lonely, and much more.
Once a year, Shell Point honors its volunteers with an elegant luncheon set in the Village Church and served by the Shell Point management team. This year’s theme, Volunteers Make a World of Difference, honored more than 500 resident volunteers from all walks of life at Shell Point. The church auditorium was decorated in the colors and images of several countries. The lobby featured the colors of Mexico, complete with a performing Mariachi band to welcome guests.
Once inside, visitors found themselves surrounded by the images of many countries, including an Irish flag in a field of shamrocks; a giant Chinese take-out carton complete with chopsticks; and a tulip-filled scene from Holland that included a little boy holding back the blue waters of a leaking dike. Another area featured the sights and sounds of Africa, with giant shields and jungle greenery, while the auditorium stage featured a Parisian scene complete with Eiffel Tower and a bistro table for two!
The meal was a delicious combination of foreign cuisine favorites, with a Chinese ginger salad accompanied by fresh melon and finished off with a delicate piece of fried cheesecake. Dining entertainment featured a guest pianist playing classic and popular songs from around the world, and concluded as The Lee County Pipes and Drum bagpipe group paraded through the hall playing everyone’s favorite, God Bless America.
| Train Room volunteers sit together: Martha Overlock, Lloyd Salt, Clyde Varner, Mark Hoepfner, Art Horn, Betty Linsz, and Helen Armstrong. |
“The sum total of all volunteer activity greatly enriches life at Shell Point,” said Bob Corley, a resident who volunteers in the United Parcel Service area. “In particular, it provides the volunteer with constructive activity and a chance to ‘give back.'” During the event, several speakers gave tribute to the joys that volunteering brings and to the benefits that it adds to the quality of life for everyone who lives and works here at Shell Point. Perhaps Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Sbuttoni’s words summed it up best when she said, “There is one unspoken language prominent here at our community, and that is the language of the heart – it is called volunteerism.”
Shell Point is Florida’s largest lifecare retirement community, providing an unequaled lifestyle with comprehensive lifecare to over 1,700 residents. Located just two miles before the Sanibel Causeway, the beautiful setting includes boating, golf, dining, comfortable residences and much more. Shell Point is a nonprofit ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foundation, Inc.
