QCP Volunteers: Dedicated to Making a Difference
There isn’t a task that is too big or too small for the volunteers from QCP’s Adult Center in Jamaica, Queens. With vibrant smiles and exuberant energy, QCP volunteers venture out into the community ready and willing to serve! Over the years, QCP has provided volunteers the opportunity to assist at local food pantries, nursing homes, parks, and senior centers. Some volunteer sites they serve include Chapin Nursing Home, the Veterans Administration Hospital, Rego Park Senior Center, Cunningham Park, and Selfhelp, a program that provides nutritional lunches to senior citizens. For many of these sites, the presence of QCP volunteers is crucial to the continuity of their programming.
Lyuda Sinenko, Assistant Director of the Rego Park Senior Center, highlights how helpful it is to receive consistent support. “QCP sends us volunteers to assist with our Meals on Wheels program, where homebound seniors receive meals through delivery. They work hard assembling bags of food. They are dedicated and I’m really impressed. We cannot survive without QCP volunteers!” These volunteers are not only making a difference in the lives of others, but are also enhancing their own.Volunteering in the community provides them with an opportunity to put the skills they’ve learned at program into practice.
Michelle, a volunteer from the Day Services Career Prep Program proudly shares how beneficial volunteering has been for her. “I volunteer at Chapin Nursing Home and Selfhelp. I like volunteering because it helps me develop my communication skills. I also get a chance to interact with people and experience different types of work”.
Like Michelle, many program participants are committed to volunteering at more than one site on a weekly basis. They are motivated and eager to improve their skills and develop their work proficiency. Each volunteer experience can be influential in affording them community employment opportunities in the future. Nancy Diaz-Candelaria, a Supervisor of the Day Services Program, has recognized how volunteering makes a profound and positive impact on program individuals. “Our volunteers feel they are important to the community because of the work they do and this increases their self-esteem.
These experiences are a great opportunity for them to safely work through real “world of work” scenarios with support from their staff who provide ongoing guidance and praise”. Overall, volunteers have much to gain from their commitment to serving others. They have the opportunity to hone their skills, get an idea of the demands of the workforce, and most importantly, can help improve the quality of life for others. While each volunteer may embody a different skill or ability, a common thread exists among them all; QCP volunteers are passionate about helping others and their dedication to the community is truly commendable.