Volunteer Spotlight

George Strauss, of Fort Lee; Dick Boresen, of Saddle Brook; Ed Morandi, of Fair Lawn

Organization where you volunteer and for how long?

George, Dick and Ed are three of the 30-plus volunteers who are the Chore Volunteer Handyperson Service, a program of the Volunteer Center of Bergen County. George has been with Chore for 6 years, Dick for 10 and Ed for 5.

Recent work with the organization?

Chore provides crews of dedicated volunteers who perform minor household repairs that keep elderly and disabled persons in Bergen County safe in their own homes, thereby avoiding costly and often unwanted institutionalization. The volunteers, who are retirees themselves, provide repairs without charge; the only cost to the client is for parts used in the repair. Last year, Chore served 1,588 clients and completed 3,777 repairs and logged in almost 7,500 volunteer hours of service. The Chore volunteers recently received the prestigious Governor’s Award for Service to Seniors in New Jersey.

Why did you become a volunteer?

All three men heard about Chore in various ways—a flyer at a senior center, a story in a newspaper, a referral from a friend. But they all agree that becoming a Chore volunteer was a perfect fit, because it allowed them to use their knowledge of household repairs to help others. Additionally it is a way to keep their minds active in retirement, and contributes to their sense of community.

What has been the best part of being a volunteer?

George and Ed say that it is the camaraderie with the other Chore volunteers. "We all work together as a team; we couldn’t accomplish what we do without the rest of the 30 men and women on the crews." Dick, who at age 93 is one of the oldest volunteers with Chore, agrees, then adds, "I know what it is to be in need, hungry or poor. My life has benefited because of people who cared enough to help me along. This is my way of paying it back. To see that we can really make a difference in peoples’ lives is a real joy."

George, Ed and Dick, along with the rest of the Chore crews, would like to do more to help more people. There is a critical need for an additional van to carry the volunteers to their repair stops.  "If we had another specially-equipped van, we can send out more crews to do more jobs, and reduce the four-week wait time for service!" they say.

Nominated by Maureen McCormick, Volunteer Center of Bergen County. Organizations may nominate volunteers for this column by sending an e-mail to hackensack@northjersey.com.