Five College Learning in Retirement members are busy people, but besides their academic commitment to this program, many are also involved in volunteering in a wide variety of ways. I sent out a questionnaire to our membership this month and was blown away by the many forms these volunteer activities took, some related to former professions, and some not at all.

To give an idea of the scope of these activities I will concentrate on several volunteers (with many thanks for their cooperation).

Rachel Borson of Amherst, a former hematologist/oncologist, used to volunteer at the Amherst Survival Center and is on the board of ABC (A Better Chance), which gives students from underserved school districts access to a challenging secondary education. Rachel is also a court-appointed special advocate for a 16-year-old ward of the state who was removed from his family when he was 4, and, in Rachel’s words, “has been ping-ponging through many, many placements.” She sees him monthly in person and communicates with the many other people who are involved in his life.

Jay and Margaret Russell of Northampton used to live on the Cape, where Jay was a lawyer and Margaret a newspaper editor/publisher, as well as the administrator of a local land trust. Jay now volunteers as an AARP tax aide, preparing income tax returns at the Northampton and Easthampton senior centers. Margaret is working on the garden committee at Look Park.

Ellen Kosmer of Amherst, a former professor of art history and a major cat lover, has volunteered with the Dakin Humane Society, serving on their board for nine years. Ellen also served with the Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee and the Cultural Council.

Gigi Barnhill of Amherst used to work at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester (founded in 1812, and the oldest historical society with a national focus). She also served on the Amherst Cultural Council and the Amherst Historical Society.

Carmen Lee of Hadley, who moved here from San Francisco three years ago, has always been involved in mental health issues. She is on three boards of directors: the National Alliance for Mental Illness, the Western Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, and the Department of Mental Health Site Board for Hampshire County. As Carmen said, “My brother died by suicide, and this was/is my chosen quest.”

Sherry Wilson of Amherst focuses on gardening and libraries. She was for many years on the board of the Friends of the Jones Library, as well as a trustee and president. Sherry is still active in the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and for 30 years was both a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and the author of a popular column on gardening.

Nancy Hayes Clune of Florence, a former librarian, is also involved in gardening activities. She works as a facilitator for The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, a free program of Cooley Dickinson Hospital, VNA and hospice. As Nancy described it, “The garden provides support to grieving young people ages 5-18 and their families … The program aims to give [them] a safe place to share, remember, and connect with others who are also grieving.”

Sanford (Sandy) Belden of South Hadley has long historical ties to this area. The first Beldens arrived in Hatfield in 1661; in 1690 the family moved to the farm where Sandy grew up, and which is now owned and operated by his oldest nephew.

Sandy and his wife, Betsy, returned to this area in 2006. A former banker, he has put this knowledge to good use in his volunteer activities, serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations including the Red Cross, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, the Community Foundation of Western Mass., Smith College, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, and Kestrel Land Trust, among others. (Makes me tired just to list them all, let alone being actively involved.)

Diane Liebert of Florence has served on the Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee since 2002. They offer walking tours of Sojourner Truth’s Florence (she lived there for 10 years) and give scholarships to high school students who do social work.

Kathy Campbell of Leverett said, “Currently my volunteer work seems to be IT support for LIR [Leaning in Retirement] and LWV [the League of Women Voters], Amherst. It’s practically a full-time job, but not very exciting for a news article.” I beg to differ: Kathy’s IT expertise has been invaluable to LIR members who are nowhere near her level of proficiency.

Edie Kirk of Northampton volunteers with the resiliency hub of Manna Kitchen at St. John’s Episcopal Church, which offers services including showers, washers and driers, access to computers, and to health care providers and social workers.

Tyll van Geel of Amherst, a former professor of educational and constitutional law, works for a program that gives advice on questions related to health care or prescription drugs. Besides the volunteer work, counselors also must complete further annual training to keep abreast of the latest regulations.

Francie Borden of Haydenville is the current president of LIR, but she continues to work with “a committee to promote and mastermind an extension of the bike trail from Haydenville to the village of Williamsburg. It involves planning, raising money, overseeing engineering and construction plus ... interfacing with other town committees like conservation, open space planning, etc.”

Ben and Mary Jaffee of Amherst: Ben, a former immigration attorney, helps political asylum seekers with putting together their applications once they have a court date. Mary does ESL tutoring at Jones Library.

Hardy and Jeanne Ballantine of Amherst are former professors of education (Hardy) and sociology (Jeanne). Hardy volunteers with the Survival Center and Meals on Wheels; the latter program also checks in on the recipients to make sure all is OK with them. Jeanne works with Catholic Charities Circle of Care for an Afghan family of six who arrived in Amherst about a year ago. This involves tutoring in English, helping the family with medical appointments, enrolling the children in school, finding and helping to furnish an apartment, etc. As Jeanne said, “Making new friendships was a huge benefit of this activity.”

Nina M. Scott, a professor emerita of Spanish from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a member of Five College Learning in Retirement, writes a series about the offerings of the program.

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