Volunteers are integral to Plymouth’s continuum of care. They connect tenants with the larger community and with each other by building trusting relationships. Each Thanksgiving, over 50 volunteers help Plymouth create an atmosphere of home for all tenants.

This local family spent Thanksgiving with Plymouth residents–for the fifth year!

Pictured above (L-R): Henry Ross (2nd year student at the UW School of Law), Peggy Keene (director of marketing communications at Esterline), Jack Ross (project planner at Pacific Community Design in Portland) and Alan Ross (partner in the Employee Benefits Practice Group of the law firm Stoel Rives LLP in Seattle).

 

 

Thanksgiving is such a busy and family-centric day. But Henry Ross, Peggy Keene, Jack Ross and Alan Ross have spent a big part of five of their Thanksgivings at Plymouth. We feel very fortunate…and pretty curious about why. So we chatted with them a little bit. Here’s what they told us.

 

PHG: What’s one thing that really stands out to you from your Thanksgiving experience at Plymouth this year?

Henry: I was particularly thankful for the joyfulness that all the residents expressed to the volunteers. The experience felt like much more than serving lunch–it was conversations, well wishes, and laughs. It was a social experience as much as it was a charitable one.

Alan: I felt a lot of sincere gratitude from the residents. They were uniformly pleasant and respectful.

Peggy: Although we’ve volunteered on Thanksgiving for a number of years, this year seemed more meaningful. There was a special sense of kindness and cooperation that I don’t get to experience enough. The volunteer team projected a feeling of joyous work, fellowship, and a bit of holiday humor as we improvised the preparations and greeted residents. Maybe it was the football game in the background, but it felt like a party, and the right way to celebrate the holiday.

 

PHG: What’s one thing that you learned about yourself or others that day or one thing that you’d like others to know?

Alan: It makes you feel really good to volunteer, and it’s easy. (Also, next year reduce the number of green bean casseroles!)

Peggy: What I learned: it’s possible to volunteer at Plymouth for Thanksgiving and still get your own meal on the table later in the day! I also learned that Thanksgiving brings out the best in people—the residents and staff were all in a great mood, and it was an honor to serve.

Henry: The one thing I learned about myself was how powerful a short amount of time, together with other people, can be, particularly when the time is spent to give others a chance to enjoy others’ company. The one thing I would want others to know is how similar a Thanksgiving meal can feel, regardless of the people around the table.

 

PHG: If you had to sum up your Plymouth Thanksgiving experience in just one word, what would it be?

Peggy: Rewarding.

Henry: Warm.

Alan: Happy.

 

PHG: Other thoughts?

Alan: Thanks!

Henry: Thanks again for the experience!

Peggy: We will be back again!