The Power Of The Volunteer

Elinor Snow

Jewish Family & Community Services: Volunteer Scrabble player

Elinor Snow

Elinor Snow

Every Wednesday afternoon you can find Elinor Snow at a local assisted-living facility playing Scrabble with a senior she has befriended through Jewish Family & Community Services’ Healing Network. Although Snow gets beat almost every week in the game, there are really two winners who come out of her weekly visits.

“It makes me feel special when she sees me come into her room and she says that seeing me is one of the bright lights of her week,” said Snow about her visits to a senior in the Healing Network program. 

“I feel blessed that at the age of 76, I am healthy, I have a loving husband and a wonderful family. Helping out at Jewish Family & Community Services is fun and rewarding, and I hope to continue as a volunteer for many more years,” Snow said.

For Snow, who began volunteering seven years ago at Jewish Family & Community Services, the time she spends with seniors is so enjoyable that a standard one-hour visit can end up lasting three hours.

“As a social service organization we are deeply committed to meeting the needs of our clients, but it is often our volunteers who make the difference,” said Colleen Rodriguez, Jewish Family & Community Services Executive Director. “Their dedication to our community is inspiring to see and because of them, we are able to expand our reach and help more individuals and families in Jacksonville.”