71°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Lend A Hand recognizes volunteers

Lend A Hand of Boulder City recently honored the work of its volunteers.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be here,” said Shannon Eckman, Lend A Hand’s executive director.

During a brunch Saturday, Jan. 20, at Railroad Pass to thank its volunteer force, Eckman said Lend A Hand has 74 volunteers to help its 367 clients. These volunteers provide transportation, in-home services and companionship and facilitate equipment loan to seniors and disabled people in Boulder City. It operates on a donation basis, thereby not charging clients to help them.

Lend A Hand usually honors its volunteers at a dinner. This year, however, board President Georgia Wenzel said the organization held a brunch for the first time. The board also did not give out any individual volunteer awards as it had in past years.

“I started out to fill my day up,” Mary Boettcher said of why she began volunteering. “My dad had done it, and it was such a rewarding experience for him.”

Boettcher’s father, Jerry, was one of the original drivers for the nonprofit, which was established in 1989. She has been a volunteer since 2010.

“I lost my job, drove to town and signed up at Lend A Hand,” she said. “It saved my life.”

Fellow volunteer Dave Dempsey said he was “strongly encouraged” to start volunteering by a friend of his. Now he has been doing it for several years, and he said he enjoys it.

“The people are really interesting,” he said.

Husband and wife team Jerry and Lori McHugh have been volunteering for approximately 10 years. Both said they do it to give back.

“We want to give back because we’ve been blessed with so many things in this life,” Jerry said.

“I grew up poor,” Lori added. “This is my way of giving back to other people.” The organization assists seniors and disabled residents in Boulder City, helping them remain independent. Its goal is to improve their quality of life by showing them that someone cares, relieving their stress in getting places and helping them to stretch their budgets.

According to Eckman, Lend A Hand is in “desperate need” of more volunteers. Only about half of the volunteers on the current list are active.

“We do need more volunteers on a daily basis,” she said.

To volunteer, call Lend A Hand at 702-294-2363.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Hot cars and hotter ribs

Photos by Ron Eland and Linda Evans

BCHS: 2023 and beyond

Boulder City High School saw 125 students graduate Tuesday night at Bruce Eaton Field. Dozens of students have received college scholarships totaling just under $7.5 million. It was the school’s 82nd graduating class.

BCHS grad sees business grow during and following pandemic

During the pandemic, many had to find creative or alternative ways to put food on the table. For Sara Ramthun, she found not only a way to put food on her table but on the table of many others as well.

Outdoor shade can cool, bring energy efficiency to home

We all know cool shade is a hot commodity during summer months. The amount of shade around our home determines whether outdoor living spaces are something we can enjoy as days get longer and sun gets stronger. Besides making us feel more comfortable, shade can help keep the sun from fading or damaging our yard furniture, plants, equipment, etc. Shade abutting a home can reduce heat gain, making indoors cooler and more energy efficient.

Grad Walk: Emotional tradition marches on

Garrett Junior High Principal Melanie Teemant may have summed it up best when she asked, “Where else do you see this?”

BCHS Grad Night: A tradition for 33 years

It’s one of the most memorable nights in a young adult’s life. But it can also be one of the most tragic.