Village Volunteers gala celebrates a decade of service to others

Village Volunteers celebrated its 10th anniversary with a gala event held Dec. 2 at Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes.

Village Volunteers delivers services that help older adults in eastern Sussex County to live independently as long as possible.

Thanks to the generosity of the business community and individual sponsors, members and volunteers enjoyed a festive evening of good food and music. “Many of our volunteers have provided thousands of hours of service,” said Jackie Sullivan, executive director, who also praised the members who showed the courage needed to ask for help.

Board President Steuart Martens said his biggest takeaway from the event was hearing stories from members about how wonderful they thought the village was.

Susan Vok, a member for five years, said, “The village saved my life. They are so kind and have never been late, not once, for my services.”

The idea for the Village Volunteers was born in 2010, in a discussion initiated by Jackie Finer, a retired gerontologist and past director at the National Council on Aging, joined by other members of the Lewes community. Their vision of aging in place, a national movement dedicated to helping older people remain in their homes as long as possible, led to the formation of the Greater Lewes Community Village in 2013. Soon, volunteers were helping member neighbors with transportation, errands, friendly visits and more.

Once established in Lewes, the organization changed its name to Village Volunteers, and expanded to Milton and Rehoboth Beach. Some 10 years later, Village Volunteers members have delivered almost 75,000 services to hundreds of older adults.

“I felt a great sense of pride and gratitude looking around the room at the Vineyards and not knowing many of the faces,” Finer said. “I can’t believe that any of the co-founders who were there didn’t feel a sense of pride that the village is thriving.”

Continuing its growth, the village supported the organization of the South Coastal Village Volunteers, which works with older adults who live south of the Indian River Inlet bridge in Bethany Beach, Millville, Ocean View and South Bethany.

The need for village services will only increase, as the aging population is projected to grow for another 30 years, Sullivan noted. “Our members are so strong in their ability to persevere, and our volunteers have been amazing in their capacity to give and adapt to all the changes in our lives. There’s a lot we still don’t know, but we know that challenges, like continuing our services during COVID, have made us stronger and closer,”  she said.

At the party, search committee representatives said they have found a replacement for their retiring executive director, and that person’s name will be announced soon.

“The future of the village is bright,” Martens said.