Balfour Resident Gives Back to Others
YourHub.com
By Kate Knudson
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Volunteer Mary Jo DeLuca, left, helps Lodge at Balfour resident Barbara Taylor navigate the library.
Mary Jo DeLuca, 84, grew up when it was common for women to dedicate their lives to serving others. The Colorado native has continued that tradition of service as a selfless volunteer throughout her retirement.
For more than 20 years, DeLuca has volunteered in various capacities at organizations throughout Boulder County, including the Boulder Justice Center, Boulder Public Library, Lafayette Public Library, Avista Hospital and The Lodge at Balfour, an independent living community in Louisville.
DeLuca was the first to move into The Lodge at Balfour and not so ironically, she picked the apartment closest to the library.
“I knew I was going to volunteer in the library,” said DeLuca. “If I had to redo my career, I’d have been a librarian,” she added.
With a knack for organization and a genuine love for books, DeLuca has made the Lodge’s library her personal pleasure by creating a check-out system, labeling books according to category and author and recruiting residents to set up mini-magazine and library stations throughout the community.
DeLuca brings her spirit of helpfulness wherever she volunteers. At Avista Hospital, she acts as a liaison between doctors and family members during surgery.
Additionally, she collects yarn from Avista’s donation pile and brings it back to The Lodge at Balfour, where resident knitters transform the scraps into booties and baby caps that are donated back to the hospital nursery.
“Beyond meeting people and serving the community, I love to volunteer simply for the feeling it gives me. I wish I could give more hours,” DeLuca said.
April is Volunteer Recognition Month and no one exemplifies true volunteerism more than DeLuca.
Whether she’s greeting families at Avista, searching for lost library books, or recruiting friends to join her volunteer crusade, DeLuca never fails to donate her time and energy to make someone else’s day brighter.