Volunteers are vital to the Chapter's mission. Their work and dedication not only helps, but also inspires. We recently caught up with one of the Chapter's longtime volunteers - Beverly Cotrone, who lost her husband of 37 years to ALS nearly ten years ago. Since then she has helped numerous patients in various volunteer capacities. For one woman Bev assisted, her being there meant the patient's son could take the night off from providing the round-the-clock care his mother needed. With another patient, Bev simply brought dessert and sat and laughed, while his wife was able to get out of the house for a bit. Bev noted, “There's not a lot of laughing going on caring for someone 24/7.” Her presence brought some of that laughter back.
Beverly gets her drive to volunteer from her own experience caring for her husband Joseph. She gladly attended to him, but recalls how she often felt “trapped”. She would sometimes look out the window and wish she could simply take a walk around the block. She is there so others can do just that and so much more.
Do you want to do more for people with ALS? Do you live in Westchester County or the Hudson Valley region? We need YOU!
We need volunteers to help our patients and their families in the region. Some People with ALS (PALS) are in need of assistance with household tasks, such as food shopping and light cleaning, while some PALS need companionship and someone to share simple life moments that provide entertainment and a sense of normalcy - being read to, crossword puzzles, or simple conversation. Additionally, families and caregivers of our PALS also need assistance, in order to lighten their work load and better enable them to care for their loved one.
To get involved please call Christine Dunn at (212) 720-3044 or email dunn@als-ny.org.
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