Volunteer puts in hours to brighten up seniors' lives

It appears that Gilmore Gardens Seniors Residence is home to more than one "unsung hero."

According to Anne MacLennan, life enrichment manager at Gilmore Gardens, there are more than 65 volunteers who spend countless hours making the lives of seniors a little brighter.

Richmond's Dorothy Dawson is one of those volunteers. MacLennan described the petite piano player like this: "She is kind, talented, gracious, generous, comical and very much appreciated in the Gilmore Gardens community."

It doesn't take long for a crowd of admir-ers to gather around Dawson as she sits at the piano for an impromptu mini-concert.

Elsie, 99, comes right up to Dawson and tells her she loves hearing her play.

Then, there's the ever-so-charming Norm Lewis, 87, and his buddy Charles Holden, 93, both of whom were quick to add how much they admire Dawson's piano playing skills.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Lewis goes on to say: "Dorothy also has a lovely voice, you know."

To which Holden added: "She's not only beautiful, she has a great voice."

After a short concert, Dawson's fans applaud loudly.

For more than a dozen years now, Dawson has been coming to Gilmore Gardens to play the piano for an hour or more; whether it's for a Sunday hymn singalong, a birthday party or special welcome tea.

"It's such a great place here and I've come to know so many of the residents," said Dawson, who got involved through her church, Gilmore Park United Church. "After playing and singing, we go for a social time and talk about whatever they want to talk about."

In fact, it's through the church that Dawson initially got involved in volunteering. Years ago, when the residence was in its planning stages, Dawson was on the church committee involved in getting Gilmore Gardens built.

"I've been a member of my church for 50 years," said Dawson. "I got to know the manager of the seniors residence when it opened 12 years ago and I asked if I could volunteer."

Not only does she play, Dawson also serves food and beverages during parties and special celebrations. Besides that, she loves to get her hands in the dirt for the annual spring planting. Dawson shrugged off the notion she's doing anything special.

Volunteering has been a way of life for the widow for decades. For 16 years, Dawson has also comforted dying patients and their families in hospice care at Richmond Hospital.

When asked why she chose to volunteer in a hospice, Dawson said: "My parents died suddenly in England and I wasn't there, so I vowed I would be there for someone else's mother or father."

Dawson credits her parents for her humanitarian ways.

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