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February 2, 2023FY2022 President’s Volunteer Service Awards
54 Cypress Cove residents recognized for 100 hours or more of volunteer service
FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 1, 2023) Cypress Cove luxury life plan community recognized 54 residents who volunteered a total of 16,521 hours on campus during the 2022 fiscal year at a brunch held in Edison Hall on January 31, 2023.
Led by AmeriCorps and managed in partnership with Points of Light, The President’s Volunteer Service Award program allows certifying organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers. Cypress Cove is a certifying organization, allowing them to recognize volunteers who meet the criteria for this award program, which is: 500 or more hours – Gold Award, 250 – 499 hours – Silver Award, 100 – 249 hours – Bronze Award.
“Cypress Cove is thrilled to recognize five more President’s Volunteer Service Award recipients than last year, despite the disruption Hurricane Ian caused,” said Community Advancement and Volunteer Coordinator Darlene Chamlee Smith. “It’s also impressive that we have 12 new recipients.”
Ten residents received gold-level recognition, 15 silver, and 29 bronze. Each recipient received a letter from the White House congratulating them on their service, a personalized certificate, and a gold, silver or bronze pin designating their level of volunteer hours.
“Cypress Cove residents selflessly pour themselves into the community in a variety of different roles,” said Executive Director Mary Franklin. “A wide variety of opportunities are available for residents to share their life-long experiences by serving on a committee, leading activities they love, or even choosing something new to pursue.”
Smith, who maintains the data for the community’s volunteer program, believes that the program’s success can be summed up in one comment from a resident volunteer who said the program gives her purpose and she is grateful to do what she can to help.
“It is an honor to celebrate our volunteers who do not serve to receive adulation, but rather give of their expertise, talents, and skills to enhance the community they call ‘home’,” said Community Advancement Officer Melody Desilets.
Volunteer opportunities for residents on the Cypress Cove campus include serving on the Staff Scholarship Committee, manning the Main Street Market (a campus grocery store), servings as an ESL tutor for staff, delivering packages to residents, repairing and building needed items in the wood shop, leading creative arts in the studio, maintaining the libraries, sewing caps for pediatric cancer patients at neighboring Golisano Children’s Hospital, serving on one of a variety of committees, and many other fun, valuable and rewarding volunteer roles.
The ages of Cypress Cove’s resident volunteers vary from 65 years to 101 years old. An additional 108 residents volunteered 2,611 hours at Cypress Cove during FY2022, for a total of 19,132 volunteer hours by 162 Cypress Cove residents in FY2022. They will all be celebrated at an event in April during National Volunteer Week.
Videos about some of the many resident volunteers can be found on the Cypress Cove YouTube channel:
100-year-old Nina Klaudt still volunteering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC9iTUtpYZY&list=PL6cAOZqgH0wiirfKLpHJiblQr8J2iNjBV&index=7
Caps for Kids volunteers: https://www.facebook.com/GolisanoChildrensHospital/posts/were-looking-for-volunteers-to-make-surgical-hats-for-our-patients-kids-love-pic/10155456096774130/
Main Street Market volunteers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg1DTyG1dLs&list=PL6cAOZqgH0wiirfKLpHJiblQr8J2iNjBV&index=8
About Cypress Cove
Cypress Cove, a not-for-profit organization opened in 1999, is a well-established, highly respected, life plan community (formerly known as a continuing care retirement community) recognized nationally for innovation in senior living. Located on a beautiful 60-acre campus at HealthPark Florida in South Fort Myers, Cypress Cove is home to more than 650 residents and offers a full complement of quality living options—independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care assisted living, rehabilitative care, and home health.