Carolyn Holmgren has been a volunteer with Hilltop’s Senior Daybreak since August of 2017. She volunteers every Friday assisting and interacting with our participants. Carolyn embodies our value of relationship in everything she does at Senior Daybreak. She is great with our participants and takes time to get to know them personally. Carolyn is always willing to help whether it is helping staff in the dining room, facilitating activities, or helping with crafts and afternoon activities. We have had a few crazy days at Daybreak during this pandemic where our staff have said, “Thank goodness Carolyn is going to be here today!”

I know some of our ladies really love it when she sits with them for lunch and chats with them.  She leads trivia and sing-a-long in the afternoons, keeping everyone engaged and happy.  She also sits with our people who are having a hard time doing projects and is so patient with them while helping.

When asked what she enjoys about volunteering at Daybreak, Carolyn says, “My age is not that far off from the participants served by Daybreak. I can visit with them about things that we can relate to generationally.  It is fun having conversations with participants and see the sparkle of recognition in their eyes as they remember things from their lives.”

Even though the population served at Daybreak may not always remember who you are , they do remember how you make them feel.  Carolyn always makes our participants feel happy, listened to and like they have a friend.

We at Daybreak think that Carolyn is wonderful and we are so grateful that we have her with our program. Her kindness is felt by everyone and we appreciate everything that she does for us and our participants. It is for these reasons that I nominate Carolyn for a Mission Award as she is truly deserving of this special recognition.