HER REWARD IS A SMILE:Barbara Alexander a tireless volunteer
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She said it is the generosity of longtime volunteer Barbara Alexander, who has orchestrated annual Christmas events and weekly Bingo nights for NHC residents and patients for more than 30 years, that she treasures. But the appreciation extends far beyond that.
When Alexander makes her way around the nursing home, it’s obvious she also has patience, understanding and love — and enough of it to go around.
Where others might stop listening, Alexander pays attention. She listens long enough to have a conversation with an elderly diabetic, chats with another man making his way down the hallway in a walker and senses enough about the woman upstairs to know it’s time for a visit.
She pats several residents on their hands and arms in a friendly gesture, asking them how they are, before going upstairs to visit with the woman. She talks about getting them to “come out” when they prefer to stay in their rooms, well aware these are grandmothers, grandfathers and even parents or children.
“This little guy wouldn’t get out of his room, but I got him out,” she said, noting some lean toward becoming reclusive. “Sometimes I’ll talk them into coming out.”
That’s the spirit McPeak witnessed first-hand when she visited with her mother.
“When I would come to visit mother, I would take her upstairs on Tuesday nights to Bingo and that’s how I got to know Barbara,” McPeak said.
“On Tuesday nights, mama kind of looked forward to it. It just seemed like on Tuesday nights, her spirit was uplifted to see Barbara and to be able to play Bingo.”
Although her mother passed away last year, McPeak was inspired enough to volunteer to help on Bingo night. Judy Grissom and Wilma Henegar were equally impressed, becoming involved with the weekly events due to having family members there, while Alexander gives another volunteer, Mazel Williamson, a ride. Alexander said Alan Ally also helps gather the residents for times when she’s late coming from work.
But Alexander, a full-time, 38-year-employee at Oster, does not have any family at the home.
“She’s got a big heart and she’s been doing this for so long. She doesn’t have anybody out there. She has a lot of friends out there, but she doesn’t have a family member out there and she continues going. And she works hard at Oster,” McPeak said.
They ration off fruit and other goodies for a couple of hours every week and wrap the year up with a Christmas-related party/auction, where items are essentially donated to the residents so they may give them to family members.
“You have to love it to do it,” Grissom said. “Tuesday night is something to look forward to.”
Alexander said when she got started volunteering, she wanted to create an outlet for area youths.
“Kids didn’t like it, so I got some of my friends to start helping me. Warren Wrather helped me for years, but he moved out of town. He got the Jaycees to help buy the fruit,” she said.
“We started playing bingo and the first two Christmas parties, we had volunteers come in and sing and the third Christmas party, I thought we had to do something different, so we started the auction then.”
Year after year, week after week, she’s there.
“Most of them will ask, ‘Is Barbara coming tonight?” NHC activity director Faye Braxton said, adding physical activity and socialization are important. The theory is “use it or lose it.”
“They think there’s nothing like Barbara and there hasn’t been a time that when she got here, she didn’t go around and hug them. She really puts her heart into this,” Braxton added.
Alexander said her friends have helped a lot and said she enjoys helping where she can.
“I don’t do it for recognition or rewards. I get my reward to see them smile. It’s just something I like doing,” she said.