Mercy Care for the Adirondacks volunteer of the year Sue Lackmann, of Lake Placid, was presented with the Catherine McAuley Award during the awards picnic on Sept. 5. (Provided photo)

LAKE PLACID — On Sept. 5, Katherine Rhodes, Mercy Care’s director of elder care and volunteer services, welcomed all to Mercy Care’s Annual Friendship Picnic.

“We express our gratitude to our kind and compassionate Friendship Volunteers, Parish Nurses, and Caregiver Friends,” she said at the picnic.

Following lunch, Michael Aguirre, executive director of Pendragon Theatre, gave a short program describing the history and progress of the theater.

“Each of our Volunteers has made a difference in the life of their elder friend in our Tri-Lakes Communities,” Mercy Care Board President Melissa Eisinger said during the award ceremony. “We cannot thank you enough. We host Mercy Care’s Friendship Picnic each year to celebrate our Friendship Volunteers and to honor and recognize the extraordinary gifts of friendship, kindness, and assistance they each give to their elder neighbors. The Board is most grateful to our volunteers for making Mercy Care’s mission possible.”

The Volunteer of the Year is Sue Lackmann.

Lackmann, of Lake Placid, was presented with the Catherine McAuley Award, which recognizes a Friendship Volunteer who has served for two or more years, has given outstanding service and exemplifies the values of Mercy Care. McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831. She reached out with courage and love to people in need of her time as we strive to reach out to our elder neighbors in need in our time.

Lackmann, who says “yes” to everything she can, goes above and beyond in caring for everyone she meets. She supports her elder neighbors with everything from trips to the vet to navigating housing paperwork. Sue exemplifies what Catherine McAuley taught us about mercy and compassion.

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100-plus hours of volunteer service

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Mercy Care remains deeply grateful to all of their volunteers, some of whom contributed over 100 hours this past year to enhance the lives of their elder friends and caregivers. Volunteers with over 100 hours were recognized and included Denis Chagnon, Tom Connors, George DeChant, Stacey Dodd, Alanna Fox, Paul Guerrette, Martha Holmes, Cathy Johnston, Sue Lackmann, Colette Lettero, Susan Lindteigen, Penny McGill, Debbie McLean, Dan Santerre and Susan Steen.

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Over 1,000 Miles

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Starting this year, Mercy Care is not only recognizing our volunteers who donated an amazing amount of time, but those who put an incredible amount of miles on their vehicles, transporting Elders to medical appointments, shopping trips, outings, and more. Thank you for truly going the distance your neighbors! Denis Chagnon, Tom Connors, George DeChant, Leo Demong, Stacey Dodd, Alanna Fox, Paul Guerrette, Colette Lettero, Susan Lindteigen, Debbie McLean, Susan Steen and Sheila Venezia.

Five, 10, 15 years

Mercy Care honored those who have given five, 10 and 15 years of volunteer service to Mercy Care.

Five years: Margie Gallagher. Ten years: David Aldrich, Brita Chagnon, Paul Guerrette and Colette Lettero. Fifteen years: Margo Cooper.

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Special awards

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Rhodes presented Mercy Care’s Special Awards.

Jon Kaplan, who presented with the Appreciation Award, exemplifies Catherine McAuley’s spirit as he reaches out to share his time and talents. He has cultivated relationships with multiple elder friends while taking them shopping, to appointments, and on outings. His support and friendship is invaluable to the folks he serves.

Debbie McLean was named the Novice Volunteer of the Year. Since becoming a Friendship Volunteer in the fall of 2023, she has demonstrated outstanding dedication, commitment, and caring companionship to her elder neighbors by saying “yes” to almost all of our many calls asking for her assistance. From Burlington to Albany and everywhere in between McLean goes the distance.

Stacey Dodd, who was presented with the Caring Heart Award, has demonstrated exceptional kindness while caring for her Elder Neighbors. She has a caring heart and touches the aging in our community with mercy by taking time to listen and reaching out to help in times of need. As a Friendship Volunteer, she exemplifies what it means to care, going out of her way to visit, support, and help.

The World of Difference Award was awarded to Susan Lindteigen for her compassionate, dependable and responsive care to elders in our community. Lindteigen has assisted Elders from around the community but probably her biggest impact has been assisting one person in particular. The friendship they have built while logging miles between Upper Jay and Lake Placid multiple times a week has not gone unnonticed, and neither have the strides her Elder Friend has made thanks to being able to get to Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy multiple times a week for months.

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Friendship Volunteer training

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Mercy Care is recruiting new volunteers to help their elder neighbors age in place more successfully. Mercy Care’s next Friendship Volunteer Training Program will be in Saranac Lake from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the High Peaks Church. Complementary lunch will be provided. Volunteers of all faiths are encouraged and invited to participate.

New Volunteers will join nearly 100 other Mercy Care Friendship Volunteers from Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and surrounding areas who are helping their elder neighbors stay connected to their communities and helping make their lives a little easier and happier.

There is no cost for the training but registration is required. To register, visit Mercy Care’s website at www.adkmercy.org or contact Lexi Bevilacqua, Mercy Care’s program director, at abevilacqua@adkmercy.org or 518-523-5446.

Volunteers will learn about offering friendship and assistance to elders in sessions on healthy aging, spirituality and aging, community resources for elders, how to recognize scams aimed at older adults, understanding the types and signs of dementia, and the effects of isolation and loneliness on the aging population.

New Volunteers will hear from experienced Mercy Care Friendship Volunteers who find purposeful service to their elder friends to be meaningful in their own lives. Mercy Care Friendship Volunteers provide informal supports such as assistance with grocery shopping, transportation to medical appointments or social outings, or visiting with an elder in their home.