Surrey hit the jackpot with three volunteers from the Falcone/Leutner family: Pat Falcone, her sister Joanna Leutner (JoJo), and Pat’s husband, Rob Falcone. All three of these lovely individuals radiate warmth and appreciate the fine art of conversation with anyone who wants to sit and chat. They do this in the Café as they work, in classes they facilitate, and as they stroll around Surrey.
Meet the Surrey Volunteers
Pat, newly retired from her career as a recovery room nurse at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, said she was introduced to Surrey in the summer of 2024, after she ran into her friend Debbie Levin, who happened to be a Surrey Ambassador. Debbie told Pat about her various commitments at Surrey, including the delivery of meals to homebound clients. Debbie said that part of her role is to assess the well-being of a client and to notify Surrey if any action needs to be taken.
Pat mentioned to Debbie that she had begun to wonder What is my identity now that I’m not a nurse anymore? Debbie invited her to check out Surrey in Broomall, which she promptly did and, while there, she filled out an application to become a volunteer. This visit turned out to be the first step in shaping the next chapter of Pat’s life. Shortly thereafter, her enthusiasm for Surrey rubbed off on JoJo, who had also retired as an ICU/CCU nurse at the same hospital. The enticement of working with her sister while also becoming involved with Surrey life sealed the deal for her.
Finding purpose, connection, and joy after retirement
Over time, the sisters have taken on a variety of responsibilities. They help in the Café on Thursdays by serving lunches and washing dishes for about 50 clients. They lead classes in crossword puzzles and adult coloring book activities. The pair was also involved with the Annual Indoor Yard Sale in October, which raised close to $2,000 for the Broomall Surrey location.
With all they had been doing as volunteers, Pat said that her husband Rob “saw us coming home happy and talking about Surrey and all the people we met.” He followed suit, wanting to experience this special place that made his wife and sister-in-law so animated and eager to go back for more.
Rob, a retired financial/investment analyst at PNC Bank, has been volunteering for a year now. His first gig was joining his wife and sister-in-law in serving lunch and washing dishes in the Café, where he said he enjoys the opportunity to engage with the clients. He usually wears his Philadelphia sports teams caps – the Eagles and Phillies – to spark lively conversation, and it works. There are veterans in the group, and they speak about who served in the Korean or Vietnam wars.
After talking and cleaning up, many head to musical Bingo in the room next door. On Wednesdays, he picks up bread and baked goods from the Lancaster County Farmers Market in Wayne and brings them to Surrey in Broomall, where members enjoy the goodies and are free to take them home (if there are any left). Rob will begin to fundraise for the new Surrey location in Media, a position he also volunteered for with the South Marple Township Little League in earlier years, in addition to coach, manager and treasurer.
Spreading the word on Surrey
Pat and Rob enjoy a program at the Delaware County Community College for ages 55+ called “Return to Learn.” Many people were not aware of Surrey and the opportunities for interacting with others in their age range and stages of life, in addition to all the programs and activities. “One woman came up to me and said she is 80-something and would like to be able to go and sit somewhere and socialize,” said Rob. This exchange opened the door for talking about Surrey and what it has brought to his and Pat’s lives.
For them, one of the best features of spending so much time at Surrey is the exposure to the positive environment at the Broomall center, led by Lena McWilliams, that center’s director. “The appreciation for volunteers is unbelievable, from Lena to everyone who is a part of Surrey. Everybody helps each other out. It is incredible what volunteers do there to extend a hand,” said Rob.
“Every time I have volunteered at Surrey, I feel as if I’ve done something good. There is no better feeling than that,” said Pat. “I’ve missed taking care of people and this work has filled that void.”
Article written by Judy Minches, Surrey volunteer