Some people use retirement as an excuse to slow down. Not Lori DeMineo. The retired teacher and powerhouse Y volunteer was recently honored as the North Oakland YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year.
She’s been volunteering at the Y for about seven years now, she says. She originally came to the Y thinking she’d volunteer with wellness programs, but instead they put her right to work using her expertise as a high school business teacher to update and organize their files. To put it mildly, they needed her crack organizational skills, she says.
She’s done lots of other things, such as organizing the annual Halloween party, and has become an important source of advice and help for the business staff.
“They know if they ask me a question about business, I’ll give it my best go…I am performing something that they need …we need each other,” she says.
In explaining why they chose Lori as volunteer of the year, Y staff wrote, “She is the type of person who immediately lights up the room with her presence, smile, and willingness to greet everyone upon arrival. Her lists of accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg, as she possess unlimited intangibles that express her true heart…a servant leader for people.”
She especially likes the young volunteers that come over from Oakland University, adjacent to the North Oakland Y’s building. As a teacher for so many years, she relates well to the younger people and enjoys interacting with them.
When she’s not at the Y, Lori is visiting friends, gardening, or cheering on the Tigers. She also takes tai chi and swims at the Y.
She’s a strong believer in staying as active as you can for as long as you can, and her energetic, open personality is a testament to that idea.
“I am 75 and still going strong,” she says, “I’ll be there as long as I can still stand up and get there.”