Fall 2009 - Presbyterian Homes & Services

It’s been happening
every day for over 50
years. The volunteers of
PHS serve in many ways;
each contributing their
unique gifts to help create
communities of caring
and fulfill our mission.
Caught
in the Act
(of Caring)
20
Pat Bettendorf
with his pal, Ruby
FALL 2009
The volunteers profiled below are
exemplars of many people who give their
time freely, just because they want to.
Their stories represent the kind of deep
dedication and distinctive talents for
which we are grateful and on which we
depend. By recognizing these few,
we honor all.
Pat Bettendorf and Ruby
Ruby, a 52-pound, 6-year-old pit bull,
knows how to work a room. Her owner,
Pat Bettendorf, brings Ruby to Croixdale
in Bayport, Minnesota, where staff and
residents call her “Ruby the Wonder Dog.”
Ruby is a certified therapy and service
dog, trained to work around wheelchairs
and walkers, and to maintain a controlled
response to unusual sounds and motion.
Ruby interacts with residents who enjoy
petting and playing with her. “Ruby’s a
sweet soul who likes the attention,” said
Pat, “and everyone’s always happy to see
her.” Ruby has been inducted into the
Animal Hall of Fame of the Minnesota
Veterinary Medical Association. She
was first runner-up in the Milk-Bone ®
“spokesdog” competition, earning a picture
of herself on a future Milk-Bone box.
Pat, who lives in Scandia, Minnesota,
started volunteering at Croixdale over 25
years ago as an actor with the Duck Soup
Players, a local musical comedy team. He
and Ruby have been visiting for the past
four years. “We enjoy sharing in the lives
of older adults,” he said. “I’ve yet to find
a better history book than the life of a
90-year-old.”
Laurry and Velyma
Hanson
Velyma and Laurry Hanson
The harvest was plentiful at Beacon Hill,
Minnetonka, Minnesota, thanks to the
dedicated work of Laurry and Velyma
Hanson who have lived at the Terrace
senior apartments since 2000. Laurry
repaired and enlarged the community
vegetable garden, picket-by-picket, so
that residents could cultivate zucchini,
tomatoes, and other homegrown produce.
Velyma and Laurry tended the garden
with regular watering and weeding, even
picking ripe vegetables for their neighbors.
The Hansons believe in contributing to
the community where they live. “If you
look for things to do,” said Laurry, “you’ll
always find it.” Laurry installed protectors
around the sprinkler heads throughout
the campus grounds, cleared buckthorn
in the bordering woodlands, and planted