Angie Hunt, Chief Operating Officer; Lynda Mullen, Volunteer; Janine Fifield, Volunteer Coordinator; Sharon Leddy-Smart, Life Enrichment; Nick Viti, OTR/L Life Enrichment.
Every year, The Cedars has the honor of choosing one volunteer to represent our community as the Volunteer of the Year. With so many volunteers dedicating precious time, compassion and friendship to enrich the lives of our residents and staff – this can be a difficult task!
At our recent volunteer recognition dinner, we were pleased to celebrate Lynda Mullen as the Volunteer of the Year, 2016. In 2011, Lynda joined our volunteer team following the loss of her beloved mother. Janine Fifield, Volunteer Coordinator, welcomed Lynda with open arms as she witnessed the loyalty, care, love and compassion that Lynda had shown her mother as a resident at The Cedars.
Lynda brought her beautiful brindle grey hound, Gabby to greet our residents, as she offered comfort and support by way of her gentle manner. Lynda quickly became involved in other aspects of The Cedars including the fall festival, the weekly rosary and communion services, transporting residents, accompanying staff and residents on outings, and providing special baked items and goodies.
When the day came what sweet Gabby passed away, our hearts filled with sadness as this sweet grey hound had made such an impact on so many lives. We quickly came to welcome many other dogs, when Lynda teamed up with the Westbrook Animal Refuge League and started bringing canines into our community that were up for adoption.
Since the inception of this alliance, almost every dog who has stepped foot into The Cedars has found a forever home upon returning to the shelter: that’s 21 dogs! We attribute this success to the magic that The Cedars brings into so many lives, even our four legged friends. It’s that special energy that Lynda continues to foster, and that willingness to extend her heart wherever it’s needed, and that passion to cultivate new growth and programs within our community. Lynda has been a leader in volunteerism, sharing her many talents and it’s our honor to recognize her as the 2016 Volunteer of the Year.
The Cedars welcomes volunteers of all ages and interests – if you’re interested in joining our community, please contact Janine at jfifield@thecedarsportland.org.