AOG Team Members Volunteer at Local Assisted Living Center

7/16/2021

FORT SMITH, AR – Arkansas Oklahoma Gas (AOG) team members had the opportunity to brighten the days of residents at Brookfield Assisted Living of Fort Smith, a local assisted living center for seniors.

The global pandemic has affected everyone—and seniors are no exception. Keeping seniors engaged and active during this challenging time is essential for both their physical and mental health. Amid COVID-19, senior living homes were shut down to keep residents safe, not allowing any in-person visitations.

“The residents were laughing and smiling ear to ear when the AOG volunteers visited,” expressed Christina Meijer, Brookfield Assisted Living’s Marketing Director. “Our residents love seeing new friendly faces and it means so much to them to have visitors. They crave personal interaction so much more after COVID-19, we are so glad we can now invite people back into our facility.”

Every Thursday in May, eager AOG team members spent time with Brookfield Assisted Living residents. From calling bingo to painting nails to lending a helping hand, AOG team members were happy to volunteer. Once activities with the residents were finished, team members sat down to visit and share in conversation.

“Being able to go inside Brookfield and sit down with the residents was a real treat for me. Just talking with them and hearing their stories was very enlightening. Seeing their smiles made my day. I look forward to visiting more with the residents throughout the year,” said Jan Cannon, Administrative Assistant at AOG.

The volunteer opportunity was made possible by AOG’s volunteer time off program, which provides team members up to 20 hours a year of paid time off to volunteer in the community.