Shirley Osipov has been recognized for her work with senior citizens.
By: Brooke Olster
Shirley Osipov’s grass-roots work in the community on behalf of senior citizens has not gone unnoticed.
Ms. Osipov, director of Community Renewal of South Brunswick and a South Brunswick resident, was recently recognized for her work in the community, such as creating successful outreach programs connecting high school students and area senior citizens.
Ms. Osipov was named the United Way of Central Jersey Hometown Hero of the Year in the Individual Adult Volunteer category at an April 28 reception at the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset.
"This came as a complete surprise to me," said Ms. Osipov. "I was overwhelmed."
The annual award seeks to recognize people who make the civic sector a vital part of community life, said Ian Durand, the executive director of the Center for Community Renewal.
Ms. Osipov founded the South Brunswick chapter of Community Renewal shortly after she moved to the area four years ago.
Ms. Osipov said that Mr. Durand, her boss, asked her to attend the reception and be prepared to say a few words. Ms. Osipov gladly accepted the invitation and thought the event would be nothing more than an annual dinner.
Much to her surprise, Ms. Osipov was awarded with great recognition from United Way on behalf of her grass-roots efforts in the South Brunswick community.
"Shirley Osipov is that rare person who combines passion, persistence, indefatigable energy, creativity and a penchant for action rather than discussion with a deep feeling of caring for those who she seeks to serve," said Mr. Durand.
Mr. Durand said Ms. Osipov has an uncanny ability to garner support from the business community, which is often key to making many of the projects successful.
"Shirley works harder than most of us, but she does not work to earn a living, she works to earn a full and rewarding life," said Mr. Durand.
"Receiving this honor is like a payback for me," said Ms. Osipov. "Sometimes I never get as much as a ‘thank-you’ for what I do, but that is OK because I don’t think it’s anything special. This really touched my heart."
Ms. Osipov has created dozens of projects in her three and a half years at the center, including 75 outreach programs, many involving high school students, for the 2,000 senior citizens residing at four centers in South Brunswick. Students visit the seniors on a regular basis and engage in various activities that both age ranges can enjoy. Ms. Osipov fondly recalls seniors teaching several students how to play blackjack.
Of all of her work in the community, Ms. Osipov seems most excited about how she connected area high school students to senior citizens. This year she had over 60 students volunteering their time at local senior citizens centers.
"It is so rewarding to see the senior citizens constantly ask for the students," said Ms. Osipov. "It makes their day."
She also is responsible for creating a program for special education students at Crossroads South Middle School to raise small plants to give to senior citizens at the annual Community Unity Day in South Brunswick, said Mr. Durand.
Ms. Osipov also has reached into her own pocket to purchase supplies for many of her projects. She bought the components for, assembled and personally distributed 135 kitchen start-up kits for the victims of Hurricane Floyd in Manville who lost everything in the flood. Ms. Osipov also purchased 113 backpacks and gave them to children who might have otherwise have had no school supplies.
Ms. Osipov was chosen to be recognized by the United Way from more than a dozen accomplished candidates, said Mr. Durand.
The United Way recognized one person from each of five categories to be awarded, including one for high school students, college students and couples, but the individual adult category, which Ms. Osipov fit into, had the largest pool of applicants, said Mr. Durand.
The United Way of Central Jersey is an agency that provides financial support to various community-based programs. United Way is also responsible for organizing efforts around certain needs and finds creative solutions that best meet those needs. The experienced staff provides opportunities for volunteers to find organizations where they can be of assistance.
According to Judith Tabert, director of Community Investment at United Way of Central Jersey, this award has been recognizing members of the community for the past 11 years and is done so during National Volunteer Week, which is generally the last week in April.
"It’s wonderful to recognize superb service in the community," said Ms. Tabert. "There are so many people out there doing so many things, but unfortunately we can only recognize a few. We need to recognize them as often as possible. These are our ‘unsung heroes.’ "