Community Stories

Volunteer of the Month: Harvey Brisard

June 17, 2022

Volunteer of the Month: Harvey Brisard

The Volunteer of the Month for June 2022 is Harvey Brisard! Heart2Heart is grateful for Harvey’s willingness to jump in and help when needed. 

Remarkably, Harvey didn’t initially expect to become a volunteer with Heart2Heart. His teenage daughter, Maria, was the one who initially discovered the opportunities at Heart2Heart through a Google search. 

“She’s really the reason I got started,” Harve explained. “Since I got involved, it’s been very rewarding.”

Maria, 17, plans to study medicine, and specifically geriatric care. However, she wanted a chance to serve the senior population right away

As Maria went through the process of becoming a volunteer as a minor late last year, Heart2Heart staff connected with her father. Harvey realized that since he would be driving Maria to the volunteer opportunities, he could serve alongside his daughter. 

Today, he’s glad he jumped at the opportunity. 

“It’s an awesome feeling when you get to help someone and make their day and put a smile on their face,” he said. 

Harvey and Maria first got involved at Heart2Heart Events at care centers. They helped residents paint blocks that were later donated to local foster kids.They pampered residents with manicures during spa days. 

“We got to meet the folks, enjoy the activity and have conversations with them,” Harvey explained. “Some of them don’t have any family who live close by. You become very familiar with them. They’re so happy to see you, like you were one of their own.”

Harvey said he’s enjoyed watching his daughter thrive in her element. 

“She loves helping out and being around the seniors,” he said, adding with a laugh: “She’s a lot more talkative and engaging than I am.”

Harvey also has helped out during Heart2Heart’s deliveries during special holidays, dropping off care packages and cards to care centers and individual homes across South Florida. 

Recently, he began making weekly deliveries as part of Heart2Heart’s Food for Hope program. Harvey picks up the meals from a store in Weston, through Heart2Heart’s partnership with the Offerdahl’s Hand-Off Foundation. He delivers the meals to two homes: a couple in Fort Lauderdale and a woman living on her own in Coconut Creek.

“Some days, the weather’s not very good,” Harvey said. “But I don’t mind. I make sure I stay dry and bring a poncho.”

When he’s not volunteering, Harvey works for an IT company. He’s also a DJ, specializing in Latin and Caribbean music at small gatherings and the occasional wedding. 

“I got into DJing in college in the late 90s, right when vinyls were getting phased out,” he explained. “I just love the atmosphere: people dancing and having a good time.”

Heart2Heart thanks Harvey for his help enhancing the atmosphere for seniors across South Florida!

Join the Team!

Becoming a Heart2Heart volunteer means that you are dedicated to serving the aging community. It means you want to connect in a meaningful way to a specific individual or to several people. It means you are committed to a consistent amount of time per month – whether that’s several hours a week or just a few hours per month.

Heart2Heart volunteers must be background checked and trained. Our training can be completed from your home on your computer or device, through the online Volunteer Portal. We run fingerprints in our office in Fort Lauderdale, and you can schedule an appointment with us after you finish the training.

The first step is to create an account on our Volunteer Portal. To get started, click here!

Read more …

118 Volunteers Needed as Food for Hope Relaunches

118 Volunteers Needed as Food for Hope Relaunches

Food for Hope is BAAACK!!! And the volunteer-led meal delivery program is bigger than ever!

So we need your help!

To deliver meals to Broward County seniors, we need 118 volunteers to give 2-3 hours each week.

This month, our CEO Juan Gallo made a special appeal to Broward County churches for this community-wide effort.

Read about the (relaunched!) Food for Hope

Big Ideas and Small Acts of Kindness

Big Ideas and Small Acts of Kindness

We were inspired by the story of Rashaad Green, an inspirational student we met at a college volunteer fair. At 22 years old, he is helping homeless people, including a 64-year-old senior, and he’s started a club that will bring art therapy to seniors. He dreams of one day curing cancer and opening a permanent and temporary housing facility for the homeless.

The Glamorous Stories of a 1940s Broadway Dancer

The Glamorous Stories of a 1940s Broadway Dancer

Lillian Flowers is 98. She lives alone in Fort Lauderdale.

She used to dance on Broadway.

While volunteer Steve Retford is helping her get services she needs, he gets a front row seat to glamorous stories from Broadway, filled with famous theater producers, celebrities (she dated Dean Martin briefly), and traveling through a life of show biz.

We extended his front row seat so you can listen to Lillian’s stories too.

Heart2Heart Welcomes New Staff — in a New Space!

Heart2Heart Welcomes New Staff — in a New Space!

In case you haven’t met them in person yet, we introduced the new additions to our team:

– Rosevel “Rosie” Castro, outreach coordinator
– Peighton Stone, dietician and intern with us from Nova Southeastern University for eight weeks

Some of our team got new roles, too. Check out all the details about that — and our new office!