Volunteers with Fort Stewart’s Winn Army Community Hospital’s Medical and Dental Activity will host a cookout for seniors from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at Ludowici’s Coastal Manor.
According to Winn Director of Volunteer Services Brigitte Cabeza-Shanken, the event will have a country-western theme and will include a lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers. Volunteers currently are collecting items to donate to the nursing home, including food — like Ramen Noodles, Lipton Cup-a-Soup, Vienna sausages, movie candy and other individually wrapped snacks — and hygiene products — like body lotions and washes, shampoo and liquid soaps — as well as items the seniors can buy with bingo money. Shanken said the seniors sometimes use these inexpensive items as gifts for family members or each other.
“MEDDAC volunteers are not strangers to sponsoring events at nursing homes,” said Shanken, whose group has helped with events at Glenview Nursing Home in Glennville, Woodlands Healthcare in Midway and the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin. “(We’ve) also hosted events at Gabriel’s House and supported Keep Liberty Beautiful during Rivers Alive. And we’ve supported the adopt-a-school program at First Presbyterian Christian Schools as well as Liberty and Long County schools, providing guest speakers, special presentations and more.”
She said Winn’s volunteers support community-enhancement events because doing so builds and lasting memories for them and those they visit or support. Volunteering is a great way to get involved, make new friends and become involved in the community, she said.
“After 23 years of residing in Liberty County, participating in events like this gives me the opportunity to meet great people and call Liberty County my home,” she said. “Our volunteers come from every part of MEDDAC as well as soldiers, civilians, family members, businesses, civic organizations — everybody. Some volunteer because they have extra time on their hands. Most just want to give back to the community and help others.”
Shanken said the event at Coastal Manor will be much like those at other nursing homes. The food is being donated by a support organizations. A Winn staff member, who also has a private catering service, will cook the hot dogs and hamburgers.
She said a DJ will provide music, and volunteers will work to get seniors to take part in group dancing, perhaps even a line dance.
Shanken said everyone is invited to help at Coastal Manor’s cookout or donate to the collection that volunteers have taken up. For more information, call Shanken at 435-6903.