Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond Volunteer Advocates for Seniors Swears in New Members

franciscan-hammond-volunteers-2014The Volunteer Advocates for Seniors organization of Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond welcomed its latest members during a swearing-in ceremony recently at Lake County Superior Court in Crown Point.

The program, instituted in 2001 and the brainchild of hospital president Tom Gryzbek, is a collaborative effort between the hospital and the court system. It provides trained and supervised volunteers to serve as court-appointed legal guardians to assist the elderly and the courts in decision-making regarding seniors’ needs. VAS likewise partners with service delivery programs to develop a continuum of elder law advocacy and guardianship services in the region.

Shown with their certificates of program completion are (front row, from left): Kimberly Lee, of Gary; Caryn Steckel, of Cedar Lake; Shelley Winder, of Gary; Carolyn Williams, of Valparaiso; Nancy Tatum, of Munster; Francisca Mendoza, of Hammond; Lake County Superior Court Commissioner Danette Garza, Katia Carmichael, of Hammond; Lorenzo Carmichael, of Hammond; Loretta Adams, of Munster; Esmeralda Ruiz, of Hammond. Also shown are (back row, from left): Ervin Lloyd Sr., of Gary; Diane CB Ware, of Griffith; Maria Anderson, of Hammond; Alfred Mendoza, of Hammond; Cassandra Austin, of Gary; W. Ann Parker, of Schererville; Tanya Wilson, of Hammond; Kimberly Jones, of Park Forest, Ill.; Shante Jones, of Park Forest; Marilyn Hope, of Schererville; Denise Allen, of Hammond.