Three generations pitch in to help Red Cross

Extended family volunteers for Meals on Wheels

   A mother’s influence lasts a lifetime. Her kindheartedness and compassion for others can be so strong it carries on from generation to generation. This positive influence is evident in the Meals on Wheels Programs at the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey.
   Grace Gambino of Princeton began volunteering with the Red Cross after she retired in 1996. Grace and her daughter, Amy Gambino of East Windsor, team up one day a week at the Red Cross in Princeton. They pack meals into coolers and hand them over to other Red Cross volunteers for door-to-door delivery.
   Grace credits her daughter for introducing her to volunteerism, since Amy joined the Red Cross first. But Amy disagrees. "My mom has always influenced me. She ran bake sales, worked at charity auctions, and always encouraged me to help others," Amy said.
   Both women will have a lasting influence on their youngest team member – Amy’s two-year-old daughter, Rebecca. "She is so proud to carry the empty cooler from the Red Cross office to the car. It’s very light, yet bulky. But don’t dare try to carry it for her," says grandmother Grace.
   The women volunteer because it makes them feel helpful and wanted. "Working with the Meals Program is a satisfying hands-on way for me to help out in my community. Plus, it’s a great excuse for the three of us to get together once a week," Amy said.
   How strong a mother’s influence can be is also apparent with the Meals Programs coordinators at the Red Cross.
   Alicia Vincelette of Cranbury learned the value of the program while her mother was a Meals on Wheels client. When her mother died in 1997, Alicia immediately volunteered with the Red Cross and helped to deliver meals for seven years before she accepted her current full-time position with the organization.
   Nicole Fulmino of Hillsborough volunteered alongside her mother at many church functions as a child. While in college, Nicole took an internship with the Red Cross, was hired as staff, and brought in her first volunteer recruit for the Meals on Wheels Programs – her mother.
   The Meals Programs provide nutritious meals to elderly residents and those unable to shop or prepare their own food. For many, these programs enable them to remain in their homes rather than having to move into a care facility.
   Meals on Wheels and Meals at Home recipients depend on Red Cross volunteers to deliver their daily meals and a warm smile. Volunteers are needed. The Red Cross can schedule as little or as much time as volunteers wish to donate.
   For more information about the programs and services of the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey and to inquire about volunteer work, call (609) 951-8550 or visit www.njredcross.org. The American Red Cross of Central New Jersey serves Mercer, Middlesex and Hunterdon counties.