The Volunteer of the Year Award was given this year to a couple, Ed and Nancy Norberg, who have enhanced and grown the Volunteer Program at Franke at Seaside.

They have been a team since they wed on Sept. 8, 1962. The Norbergs work tirelessly and selflessly for the good of all our residents.

They are always warm and friendly, greeting you with a smile. They use innovative thinking to engage and involve others in volunteerism.

Ed started volunteering when he saw the courtyard in the Keil Health Care Center and knew he could make the courtyard an inviting space for residents and families.

He began with the repair and renewal of the fountain, which had been functionally inoperable for quite some time. The fountain leaked and spilled over onto the walkway. In the winter, this would cause hazardous icing, so the fountain was disconnected. He worked at restructuring the fountain until he solved the puzzle.

Ed then tackled the lighting for the entry to Keil and moved on to the lighting of the courtyard.

Once the lighting was finished, he began the process of landscaping the courtyard, including personal provision of shrubs and plants.

He didn't do the entire project alone; he brought in his wife, Nancy, to help turn the soil and plant the flowers.

While Ed was busy restoring the fountain, Nancy was organizing a volunteer corps from the Active Lifestyle Community to assist with a variety of ongoing opportunities within the licensed care area. She pulled together a team that assists with setting up parties, hosting parties, providing entertainment, chaperone on outings, push wheelchairs, garden, lead Tai Chi classes, work on sewing projects, prep craft projects, perform skits, and more.

Together, they have initiated the Volunteer Steering Committee, which has been encouraging everyone to volunteer in some capacity and to learn through volunteer orientation what to expect from the volunteer experience and help remove the barriers to volunteering.

The Franke Tradition:

Franke at Seaside is a non-profit, ministry-based continuing care retirement community located on a 42-acre tract in Mount Pleasant.