Retirement Living with a Family Atmosphere

United Presbyterian Home Residents Win Volunteer Award

Washington, IA – United Presbyterian Home and the The Longest Day Team has been awarded the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Award by LeadingAge Iowa, an association representing not-for-profit aging services providers.

United Presbyterian Home’s The Longest Day Team, made up of Pat Jenkins, Melva Mineart, Lois Swank, and Dorothy White, won the Volunteer of the Year Award, based on their dedication to raising money and awareness to combating Alzheimer’s disease. The Longest Day Team, made up of women who all had husbands with Alzheimer’s, have been leading the fight against the disease by participating on the NuStepping to End Alzheimer’s Longest Day team for the last three years.  The goal of the Longest Day is for a team to complete an activity from sunrise-to-sunset to raise awareness and funds for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association.   

In 2014, they raised $5,000. In 2015, they set their goals higher, raising more than $10,000.  This year, the team elevated their goal to $12,000 and built upon their annual activities by forming partnerships with the community and local businesses and educating the community about the impact of the disease.

In one of the team member’s own words: “It isn’t hard for me to say why I want to take part in The Longest Day. My husband suffered from this for the last 10 years of his life, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through that type of experience.  I worry that it might be carried on to my children and grandchildren.  We need to do all we can to raise funds for research and find a cure.”

Recipients received their award at a statewide recognition ceremony on September 21 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Convention Complex in Cedar Rapids at the LeadingAge Iowa Fall Leadership Conference, “Be the Difference”.