Why They Volunteer
By Mike Costanza
We recently caught up with three people who volunteer on a number of organizations — Seneca Park Zoo Society, Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park, Blessed Sacrament Supper Program and The Strong National Museum of Play. They say they find their volunteering rewarding — it’s all for worthy causes, they say.
For Love of a Rhino
Starr Hurst was on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Seneca Park Zoo back in 2016 when she met a very special animal, a white rhino named Bill.
“I fell in love,” said the 64-year-old, who is an executive administrator for L3 Harris Technologies, Inc.
Since then, Hurst has regularly driven from her Clifton Springs home to help out at Zoobilation; Birds, Bees & Brews; Apples, Ales & Tails and other zoo fundraisers.
Head to one of those events and you might find her welcoming people to the grounds, checking them in and doing anything else she can to help make it successful. She’s also a member of the zoo and has spent so much time with its animals that she knows almost all of their names. For someone who can’t afford to visit Africa, that’s a special kind of experience.
“Where else are you going to go and see a white rhino or a lion or a polar bear or giraffes or, you know, red pandas, snow leopards,” said Hurst, “I always say you can’t have a bad day if you’re going to the zoo, volunteering or whatever you’re going to do.”
Hurst also enjoys working with Pamela Reed Sanchez, the president and CEO of the Seneca Park Zoo Society and Tina Trimer, who manages its volunteer programs.
“They’re all great and they all treat their volunteers like we matter,” Hurst said.
One special animal is no longer around to greet Hurst when she comes to the zoo. Bill moved away back in 2020.
“He actually went down to the zoo down in North Carolina so he could help make little Bills,” she said.
More than 400 volunteers help make the Seneca Park Zoo the special place it is.
Maintaining History
Last September the Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park presented Ken Hutton with its prestigious Mary Clark Thompson Award. The award is annually given to a volunteer whose “dedication, spirit, and service embody the heart of the estate,” according to a press release.
“Receiving the award was a nice surprise,” Hutton said. “It’s always valuable to have folks show their appreciation for the time and effort you put in.”
Hutton has certainly put a great deal of time and effort in for Sonnenberg Gardens. Located southeast of Rochester in Canandaigua, the park’s 54 acres encompass 17 historical buildings, including a Queen Anne-style mansion and greenhouses and nine formal gardens. Hutton began volunteering for it more than 20 years ago when he stepped up to help a group of volunteers install glass in its greenhouses. Since then the Irondequoit resident has regularly spent as much as 30 hours a week helping to maintain its buildings and grounds.
“Anything that needs to be done I’ve done it and done in just about every building and every garden,” the 74-year-old retired schoolteacher said. “Basically, just fixing whatever needs to be fixed.”
Just finishing a project can be enough of a reward for his sweat.
“I painted, repaired the porch over in the mansion and that was appreciated because the wood, it needed to be replaced and that was satisfying,” the Farmington resident said. “There’s a whole lot of things I felt good about.”
Hutton also likes the camaraderie he feels with other volunteers and the park’s staff and the compliments he hears from visitors who are viewing his work, some of whom are from other countries.
“When they say, ‘Oh wow’ it makes me realize how wonderful the place is,” Hutton said. “I guess appreciation is so key and so important.”
Hutton is one of Sonnenberg Gardens’ approximately 175 volunteers.
It Comes Naturally
Most weeks you can find Maria Nahum in the basement of Rochester’s Blessed Sacrament Church helping those in need get meals.
“I spend three hours a week assisting with food intake and also making lunches for distribution to the homeless,” said the 73-year-old, who volunteers for the Blessed Sacrament Supper Program. “Once a month I help serve dinner.”
Helping others seems to come naturally to Nahum.
“I have been volunteering since an early age and in retirement I believe it’s even more essential,” the retired teacher said. “It gives me a sense of purpose and makes me happy that I am making a difference.”
Working with the other people in the program is a plus.
“Volunteering there connects me with community; the people who also volunteer as well as those running the outreach programs and the clients we serve,” the Rochester resident said. “I feel I have a positive impact volunteering.”
The Blessed Sacrament Supper Program provides take-out breakfasts and lunches and serves dinners Monday through Friday. It serves up to 300 people a week and all are welcome.
Nahum also volunteers for The Strong National Museum of Play’s G2 program when school is in session. The program brings adults and children who are in kindergarten through the second grade together at the museum for child-driven play sessions.
“They have a selection of toys to choose from and basically they lead the play,” Nahum said. “They decide if they want me to participate or if they want to play on their own.”
Until school ended, she spent two-and-a-half to three hours with three kids once a week. She plans to continue volunteering for the program when school resumes in September.
“I’m doing it because it keeps me in touch with kids, which was a huge part of my life and also needing to have some kind of activity to do and some kind of meaningful activity to do now that I’m retired,” she said.
Volunteer
For more information go to:
Seneca Park Zoo
Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park
Sierra Club Rochester Regional Gorup
https://www.sierraclub.org/atlantic/rochester
Blessed Sacrament Church programs
https://southeastrochestercatholics.org
Strong National Museum of Play G2 program