Virginia Rando Is One of Many Who Gives Her Time

By Robert Doherty
The Erickson Tribune

In a detailed study by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the top volunteer activities by category are mentoring, tutoring, coaching, fundraising and collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food—and it’s quite clear the people who live at Brooksby Village do all of them.

Recently, over 300 people who live and work at Brooksby Village were recognized for their commitment to community volunteerism.

‘Over 100 Different Organizations’
"Hundreds of people who live at Brooksby helped over 100 different organizations within Brooksby and the North Shore this year,” said Thomas Cook, volunteer program coordinator at Brooksby. “Many worked with The Progeria Research Foundation, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Habitat for Humanity, Action Programs, and Special Olympics Massachusetts. Our volunteers had a very successful year.”

One of those people in attendance was Virginia Rando, who has a lifetime of volunteer experience. “I did quite a bit of volunteer work with my children’s schools and sports teams. I was a team mother and for six years was in charge of the hospitality committee at my son’s elementary school,” says Virginia.

‘Keep the Babies Warm’
Brooksby’s care-free lifestyle has enabled Virginia to do even more volunteering these days. “When I moved to Brooksby I heard that some young mothers in Lawrence were in need of baby supplies. I decided to get a group of women together to knit things to keep the babies warm. We’ve been doing that now for four years," says Virginia.

If you ask those that volunteer why they do it, you’ll get a lot of different answers. For Virginia, it’s more spiritual. "It says ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ in the bible," she says.