David Fink, an application engineer by trade and an educator at heart, finds that sharing his knowledge to benefit others is a very rewarding way of life. He embraces opportunities of all kinds to help seniors while also enjoying a rich lifestyle filled with learning, volunteering, socializing and an inherent generosity of spirit.
Learning About Surrey
Surrey in Devon offers a wide range of volunteering positions, and five years ago when David retired and moved in with his long-time love Wendy, a Surrey member, he decided to check it out. Before long, he signed up to take shifts as a fitness center monitor and, over the years, he has been serving lunch in the Café, preparing food for Meals on Wheels, and fixing leaky faucets in the kitchen or squeaky ceiling fans around the building.
Teaching and Volunteering at Surrey
He has discovered that his true passion at Surrey, however, is in teaching adults about today’s hot topics, aiming to keep his talks “light, informative and mildly humorous.” He has presented on self-driving cars and AI: what it is, how to use it, pitfalls, and what not to do with it. At Surrey and elsewhere, David has been known to give technical assistance and tips to seniors regarding their smartphones, iPads or laptops, understanding the challenges that individuals may have and happy to “help people who are trying.” In December, he told the story of Hanukkah and on St. Patrick’s Day – March 17 – he will speak about his and Wendy’s experiences and show photos and memorabilia from their recent trip to Ireland.
Committed to Lifelong Learning
Learning is essential to David and Wendy. The two attend evening programs at the Penn State branch in Great Valley, where they have gone to multiple presentations, including a recent discussion about an FBI art recovery unit. They know that going out at night is hard for many seniors, which is a driving force in David’s desire to provide learning opportunities that may not be accessible to this population otherwise – that, and his realization of how much he enjoys educating his peers.
“We need to keep our minds going to stay healthy mentally,” said David, stating the similarity to our physical well-being. “If we don’t exercise within the limits of our abilities, it becomes harder to move around…It’s better to bust than rust. We must keep ourselves going.”
He also relishes his hobby of both stone and metal sculpture, which he discovered in retirement, along with his and Wendy’s travel adventures, including an annual week at the beach, Viking River Cruises, and whatever else strikes their fancy.
Before Surrey, David had always wanted to volunteer, but his work schedule and the pandemic did not allow for that. Once he moved to Devon and got a taste of Surrey, it became a most natural fit to become involved with this community.
His mottos: “You make yourself available to the world and things happen” and “Can’t catch a fish without a line or net,” have proven to be in true in his life, time and time again.
Article written by Judy Minches, Surrey volunteer
Looking to volunteer at Surrey? Get started at surreyservices.org/volunteer/