As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, we spotlight three of our volunteers at A.G. Rhodes. Learn more about what inspires their desire to serve.
John Yntema
For years, John Yntema has been assisting A.G. Rhodes Music Therapy Director John Abel at A.G. Rhodes’s Atlanta and Wesley Woods locations.
What do you do as a volunteer with A.G. Rhodes?
In each location, I play my guitar and sing along with John in group singing, inside a circle or semicircle. My presence helps keep the energy up and increases the one-to-one interaction with the residents, which is essential.
What inspired you to start volunteering at A.G. Rhodes?
Over eight years ago, with no notice, I was asked to lead singing at the dementia care facility where my parents lived near Boston. I had not played my guitar in years and was surprised at the positive response from the other residents. I thought, “I can do this” and, “I want to do this.” After I returned to Atlanta and was considering how to make this part of my life, my wife suggested I contact John, whom she had met some years before. I did and John invited me to take part in a group singing session. I was captivated by what he did and by the response of the residents to him and me. I knew that this was where I belonged.
What do you love most about volunteering at A.G. Rhodes?
I enjoy playing music with John, a very good musician and music therapist. I enjoy interacting with residents and getting to know individuals, over months and years. They appreciate my being there and many of the staff also appreciate my presence.
Delisa Frye
Delisa volunteers at A.G. Rhodes Cobb with Bible study.
What do you do as a volunteer with A.G. Rhodes?
I’m so grateful for the residents who faithfully participate in our praise and worship Bible studies class on Tuesday. It has been a pleasure getting to know the residents and sharing life experiences which make us all better people. I volunteer to sing praise and worship with the residents, and we end with a mini-Bible study.
What inspired you to start volunteering at A.G. Rhodes?
I enjoy seeing everyone and singing together from our hearts! My parents are the reason I volunteer today. Growing up, I saw them serve their community from heartfelt places and I’m determined to continue their legacy.
What do you love most about volunteering at A.G. Rhodes?
What I love most about volunteering is the great people I get to meet; it always puts a smile on my face.
What would you say to someone who is interested but may be hesitant about volunteering with nursing home residents?
My perception on aging has changed in the sense of love and respect for others goes a long way. I would definitely encourage volunteering because we all have a gift to share with the world, why not share yours! My advice would be that whatever you do, do it from the heart.
One resident shared her thoughts about the impact of Delisa’s service: “I smile when I see her face as she arrives here. Delisa is an outstanding young lady. And she is like a teacher. For someone as young as she is, she is very informative and impressive.”
Society of St. Anna the Prophet (SSAP)
Society of St. Anna the Prophet (SSAP) volunteer Katherine Mitchell shares about her and her group’s long-time service at A.G. Rhodes Wesley Woods.
What do you do as a volunteer with A.G. Rhodes?
I have participated in worship services at A.G. Rhodes on the Wesley Woods Campus for 16 years.
What inspired you to start volunteering at A.G. Rhodes?
In 2008, I was recently retired and discerning whether I had a ministry to elders. I was invited to join a few sisters from the Society of St. Anna the Prophet (SSAP) who conducted weekly, non-denominational worship services for residents at A.G. Rhodes. After one visit I was deeply moved by the residents’ responsiveness, warmth, and gratitude. I am still energized by seeing the residents come alive when they sing familiar hymns, offer their prayers, and eagerly receive the Holy Communion.
What’s the history of the Society of St. Anna the Prophet (SSAP) ministry at A.G. Rhodes?
The SSAP ministry to A.G. Rhodes has roots that date to the late 1990s. The worship services at A.G. Rhodes were initially conducted by The Rev. Nan Baxter, then Episcopal Chaplain at Emory University, and a rotating team of seminarians from the Candler School of Theology. In 2005, when Nan Baxter retired from Emory and founded the SSAP, whose mission is Godly Aging, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta transferred the worship services at A.G. Rhodes and other elder care facilities at Wesley Woods to SSAP.
April 2024