LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
While the holidays are thought of as the season of giving, thankfully there are people in the Las Vegas valley who are generous with their time throughout the year.
About 100 volunteers carve time out of their schedules each week to spend with local seniors. Thanks to them and a program created by Catholic Charities, life is less lonely for a lot of people.
Virginia Tyree, 81, gets a little help putting her coat on, and with that her outing begins.
"So what's on the agenda today, Mrs. Tyree?" asked Gabriel Rivas, a longtime volunteer with Catholic Charities' Senior Companion Program.
"Today we're going to get her prescriptions, then the bank, then to Walmart for her grocery shopping," Rivas said.
"He (Rivas) has brought sunshine to my life - his very presence. It's in his name - Gabriel, the Angel of Annunciation," Tyree said.
"She's just a great lady. She adds to my life," Rivas said.
The program fosters companionship and kindness. It's a gift for volunteers as well because they get something back.
"It has been an asset in my life to have Catholic Charities as one of the organizations that reached out when I needed somebody," said Tyree.
"Every time I leave their houses, every time I finish what I do for them and I leave, I look back at what I've done and it makes my day. It makes my day to know I did something good for someone who needed it," Rivas said.
Catholic Charities said there is always a need for more volunteers. For information on getting involved, click here.
Copyright 2012 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.
