The Pilgrim Senior Center paid tribute to its volunteers on Monday with an afternoon honoring their tireless work for others and the strong community they create.

Warwick Director of Senior Services Meg Underwood welcomed guests of the Volunteer Appreciation Lunch praising,

“We couldn’t open the front doors [to the Senior Center] without them,” she said of the volunteers.

More than 115 people volunteer at the Pilgrim Senior Center; they have raised $105,000 for the center's furnishings and equipment. Approximately 80 volunteers were present for the afternoon.

Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi offered opening remarks at the event. With similar appreciation as Underwood, he regarded the center’s volunteers as special, and acknowledged their continued efforts kept alive by love.

“There’s nothing more pure and full of love than a volunteer,” he said.

USA Compassion Corps Founder and Providence College Alum Vincent Marzullo was named President of AARP of Rhode Island in 2019. Dressed in a top hat and bow tie, and displaying a whimsical mustache, he declared that he “went to Providence College so [he] can grow up and be the monopoly man.”

Marzullo’s speech emphasized the inspiration and commitment that is demonstrated by the senior center’s volunteers. To him, they are proof that compassion and empathy have no age limit.

“We are never too old to make a difference,” he said, and added that their “impact is immeasurable.”

Later in his address, Marzullo dove into the personal effects and benefits of volunteering. He explained that committing acts of service nurtures one’s own well-being, although it certainly does not end there.

“Every act of service, no matter how small, creates a ripple effect,” he declared. Attributing the volunteers with “unwavering spirit” and “unyielding flame,” Marzullo identified their age as a powerful piece in creating change.

Volunteers at the Pilgrim Senior Center take on a multitude of tasks and activities to support its functionality. One group volunteers through AARP, coming to the center for three months of the year to help seniors fill out their taxes. Others offer a helping hand making about 50 lunches daily, answering phone calls and questions at the welcome desk, or running arts and crafts clubs.

The Yarnigans and the Knit Witts are two volunteer groups who knit various creations and donate them to the center’s gift shop, in which all proceeds go back to the Pilgrim Senior Center. A quilting club there runs the same way.

Larry King is a center volunteer for poker. He runs two different poker leagues with his wife, Hope, who coordinates a high low jack league. Games typically require two to three volunteers. 

“I like the comradery, people get together, get active,” King commented. The poker league runs on Fridays with about 20 people, while high low jack runs on Tuesday with about 15 people.

Volunteers relished a pasta dish cooked up by Rigatoni’s and salad over live music from the Great American Songbook, played by the Centracchio Quintet. Underwood stated that Rigatoni’s provided the center with a “very generous discount” for the food. Lunch was preceded by additional words from Senior Center Program Manager Kathleen Bohl.

Bohl recognized the zealous and rather “abnormal” commitment of the volunteers and wished them enjoyment of their afternoon. With decorated tables, balloons and prompt staff service, the event was surely a meaningful one.

Moreover, Underwood highlighted the significance in honoring such selfless, talented work, in which the volunteers do so much of. She underscored the tight-knit environment that encapsulates the senior center.

The word “family” was chosen by Underwood to describe the relationship between volunteers, as well as senior center staff. If a volunteer is feeling sick, another will advise the staff, who will send a card to them.

According to Warwick’s official website, many residents of the Pilgrim Senior Center are “life-long” residents of the city. Its programs and services are in efforts to keep Warwick citizens calling Warwick their home.

For seniors 55 years old and older, or disabled, the Pilgrim Senior Centers encourages new members by visiting their Welcome Desk at 27 Pilgrim Parkway.