Hanover
“I just do it because of myself and how I was brought up: Do unto others as others have done unto you,” Nelson, of White River Junction, said. “They need the help, so I do it.”
That’s how the 83-year-old describes why she volunteers nearly every weekday (and some weekends) at Hanover Terrace Health and Rehabilitation Center. She started volunteering in October 2013, when her ex-husband became a resident there.
“He was very frightened,” Nelson said. “He just didn’t want to be left alone so I just came in every day and took care of him.”
Soon, she became attached to the other residents there.
“I think I took a week off after he passed and then I just had to come back in,” Nelson said. “They’re a great group. They really are.”
Nelson’s efforts in the activity room and socializing with residents in the dining area, among her other contributions, are much appreciated by the staff.
“Throughout the years, Sheila has truly become part of the team,” Activity Director Kerri-Ann Coutu wrote in an email. “Residents and staff alike watch for her to come in and greet her with open arms and smiles. Not only does she spend time listening and lending a hand to decorate their room or walker basket, but she will go out and go shopping for them. No item is too little to take a special trip.”
Nelson also regularly brings in baked goods and will help residents make their favorite recipes, Coutu added.
Volunteering gives Nelson something to look forward to every day.
“Coming up here gives you a purpose in life to come here in the morning,” she said. “Do something worthy.”
