(Hauppauge, NY-April 25, 2014) Today, County Executive Bellone announced the winner of the Senior Citizen of the Year award, Ms. Sally Economou, a resident of Smithtown, NY. Sally will receive her award at the annual Suffolk County senior celebration luncheon which will be held at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook on May 15th.
Nominations for these awards were received by the Suffolk County Office for the Aging and the Suffolk County Senior Citizen Advisory Board and staff of the office reviewed all nominations.
“I am happy to announce that Sally Economou has been chosen as the Suffolk County Senior Citizen of the Year,” said County Executive Steve Bellone. “Our senior community has and continues to contribute to the overall quality of life in Suffolk County. I thank the countless senior volunteers across the County who work tirelessly every day to serve others and look forward to their continued involvement in bettering our communities.”
Sally was chosen for her outstanding community service and commitment to serving others. Sally joined The Retired Senior Volunteer (RSVP) program 18 years ago and has been actively involved since then. Sally is one of the friendly voices that you hear on the other end of the line for homebound elderly in Telephone Reassurance Program (TR). Her memory for detail is impressive as you hear her converse with those that often feel isolated. Every Friday, Sally can be found chatting with a senior about their cat, the price of home heating fuel, a TV show, a scientific finding, or suggesting a community resource that might benefit them. She is often teased that she would be a perfect TV talk show host. Sally has "adopted" the neediest of the TR recipients and visits them at home occasionally for a cup of tea and a bit of socialization they are so hungry for.
When Sally isn't at RSVP's Telephone Reassurance Program, her other community involvement is being a part of Visiting Nurse Service of Suffolk County where she is a compassionate and gentle hospice worker. The hospice setting is not a sought after volunteer placement, but one that Sally excels in. Sally has experienced losses in her own life, yet has given of her time and talent by volunteering with the agency since she was 63, freely giving close to 5,000 hours of herself. Recently, Sally made the commitment to have her dog trained as a service dog. Both she and her pup graduated successfully and Sally travels weekly to various nursing homes and rehabilitation centers to provide the patients a bit of canine comfort.
For more Suffolk County news, visit www.facebook.com/stevebellone.
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