Volunteer group out to recruit more daughters for a day

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008

‘‘The idea for this unique organization,” Lark explains on the group’s Web site, ‘‘came from the many outings I used to take with my grandmother, to the grocery store, the dry cleaners, the mall, her doctor appointments, and to pick up her prescriptions.

‘‘When my Nana could no longer drive, I would pick her up in my car and take her wherever she needed to go. Nana would tell me that her favorite part of our day was stopping for an ice cream cone on the way home. She always looked forward to our outings and we both enjoyed being ‘girlfriends’ for the day,” she wrote. ‘‘The time I spent with my grandmother was very special. Not only was I there to give her a helping hand when she needed it, but I also gave her companionship and lots of love.

‘‘I thought it would be wonderful,” Lark said, ‘‘if I could put a smile on other seniors’ faces the way I did with my Nana, by providing them with their own personal daughter to assist them with their daily outings.”

Daughter for the Day began in Prince George’s County about three years ago. The list of about 700 people who make use of the organization is now starting to spread into Southern Maryland, with clients calling from Mechanicsville, La Plata, Waldorf and Hughesville.

There are about 70 volunteers in the network now, and Jacqueline Dancy, Daughter for the Day’s volunteer coordinator, said she’d like to see more Southern Maryland volunteers.

To that end, the organization gave a presentation in December at the Charlotte Hall library to drum up interest.

One of the group’s volunteers is Denise Sharlot, who lives in Hollywood. She joined the group about three months ago. ‘‘This is a great program,” she said. ‘‘A needed program.”

Daughter for the Day volunteers, Sharlot said, ‘‘are there to help folks do the things they can’t do by themselves.

‘‘Some [of the clients] use canes,” she explained, ‘‘or need walkers to get around. Most of them can’t drive or even get in or out of a car by themselves. One of the people I visited was blind.”

Daughter for the Day volunteers, Sharlot said, do much more than simply providing a taxi service for the seniors they’re called on to visit.

Sharlot said she has ‘‘taken people grocery shopping, kept them company during their doctors’ appointments, helped them with paperwork” at doctors’ offices ‘‘and just hung out with them for an afternoon. I’ve already built some great friendships.”

One woman, she said, ‘‘wanted to visit a friend of hers, another lady who was living in a nursing home.” Another senior, after a visit to her doctor’s office, ‘‘just wanted to make a stop at Burger King before going home.

‘‘I think,” Sharlot said, ‘‘a person needs to be giver if they want to be a volunteer. They have to have it in their hearts, to want to give to others. And,” she said with a chuckle, ‘‘they have to like to drive.”

With no clients currently in St. Mary’s County, Sharlot has been commuting from her Hollywood home to Charles and Prince George’s to meet the people she’s offered to help.

Dancy explained that a potential volunteer must be at least 25 years old and must first pass criminal and motor vehicle background checks. Then, she said, before getting the red smock that identifies them as a Daughter for the Day volunteer, there’s a short training period to help the newcomers prepare for their visits with the seniors who are requesting help.

‘‘We want our clients to feel safe and secure,” Dancy said, ‘‘as if we were actually their son or daughter. We want them to know that, with our help, they are actually getting what they need.”

The seniors using the program, she said, ‘‘are 70 years old or older. When they need us, we ask that the give us at least 48 hours’ advance notice. They’re certainly willing to do that.

‘‘Our goal,” said Dancy, ‘‘is to give these people the opportunity to get out and enjoy themselves, enjoy some of the small pleasures of life. We’re trying to put a smile on a lot of people’s’ faces.”

E-mail Paul C. Leibe at pleibe@somdnews.com.