Potomac Community Village to Honor its Volunteer of the Year, other Local Supporters

Potomac Community Village's Volunteer of the Year, Cecilia Balchun, will be honored on Thursday, July 20, as part of the Village's Volunteer Appreciation and Community Supporter program. The program, which begins at 7 p.m., follows the group's Summer Potluck Dinner, which begins at 6 p.m. The event is open to all.

The generosity, time and skills of 74 volunteers and 18 community supporters who make it possible for Potomac Community Village (PCV) members to age in place in the homes and neighborhood they love will be recognized during the event, being held at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Rd., Potomac.

Cecilia is a non-member volunteer and Potomac resident who provided 33 round-trip rides to medical offices and other locations to PCV members over the past year, for a total of 827 miles. PCV will also honor its Help Desk volunteers, those who answer the phone and provide assistance in response to calls from community residents as well as from PCV members. Help Desk volunteers are Coordinator Marla Cohen, and Marcia Akresh, Marv Friedman, Nancy Huang, Mable Lam, Eleanor Sorbello and Kathy Tippett.

What does Cecilia gain from her efforts as a volunteer? “A good feeling, a sense of helping others, and an opportunity to ‘give back,’” she says.

Volunteerism runs in Cecilia’s family through her mother, father, and her 99-year-old mother-in-law. Her mother was instrumental in starting a volunteer foundation in her native Uruguay helping to build houses for people with no more than a handshake agreement at the start of construction. In addition to volunteering with PCV, Cecilia has also volunteered at NIH working with Latin American children and at Miriam’s Kitchen helping provide breakfast for the homeless.

Cecilia came to the United States in 1972, to escape the then political turmoil in Uruguay. Once here, she went to work for the World Bank where she stayed for 36 years before retiring in 2008. Another major accomplishment for Cecilia has been raising two sons, one of whom graduated from Virginia Tech and has his own construction company; the other a lawyer, having graduated from Georgetown University Law School.

For the recipients of Cecilia’s generous services, there’s a measure of independence gained which helps to change their lives for the better. Often a friendship develops, as in the case of a 95-year old PCV member who Cecilia ferries back and forth to many doctors’ appointments, while the two of them talk about their shared interest in history.

Says PCV President Barry Perlis, "We are very pleased to be able to honor Cecilia and our other volunteers and delighted at the response we are getting from our volunteer community and our community partners. They not only express their dedication but demonstrate it through donations of their time, money and expertise. Without these supporters who actually walk the walk, we would not be able to deliver on our commitments to help people stay in their homes and continue to be vibrant and contributing members of our community.”

The July 20 event, open to all, begins at 6 pm with a potluck dinner. The Appreciation Reception begins at 7 p.m. followed by dessert and musical entertainment provided by several of PCV’s Cabin John Middle School volunteers.

More information and potluck signup assignments are on PCV's website, www.PotomacCommunkityVillage.org. RSVPs for the dinner should be in by Tuesday, July 18 to 240-221-1370 or info@PotomacCommunityVillage.org.

PCV’s Community Supporters include: 123Junk, the William F. Bolger Center, Carpet and Vacuum Expo, Chipotle (Potomac Village), Connection Newspapers, Falls Road Veterinary Hospital, Founding Farmers, Hopkins and Porter Handyman Services, Lahinch Tavern & Grill, Carol Nerenberg of Berkshire Hathaway Penfed Realty, Oasis, Personal Velocity (Stacey Holstein, owner), Potomac Pizza, Premier Homecare and Squeals on Wheels Petting Zoo.

Potomac Community Village is a non-profit network of neighbors and friends geared to enhancing the quality of life for older Potomac residents and enabling them to age in place in their existing homes by creating social connections and providing services such as transportation, computer help and simple home repairs. For more information, to volunteer or get volunteer help, contact info@PotomacCommunityVillage.org, 240-221-1370 or check out www.PotomacCommunityVillage.org.