Nonprofit connects UD students with Newark residents with chronic illness

Nonprofit connects UD students with Newark residents with chronic illness

Before Abby Skiena and Elise Ruggiero could get to work with the bed-making and vacuuming that they came for, they caught up with Don and Jane Hoback after a long summer apart.

Don and Jane live a 10-minute drive north of the University of Delaware’s main campus, and there is more dust than usual gathering on tabletops around the house. The seasonally decorated and brightly lit house was not in disarray, far from it. The Hobacks just need some help filling the gaps they can’t get to because of physical and time limitations.

“They do things that we can’t do, and it means we can stay in the house,” Jane Hoback, 84, said.

“If I get down to do it, then the only way I get back up is to crawl over to a piece of furniture, because I can’t get back up,” Don Hoback, 85, said.

Seated around the kitchen table, the students and Hobacks chatted about life and summer happenings, almost like how family would talk after not seeing each other for a month. This debriefing takes a little longer than usual. Ruggiero and Skiena are both seniors at UD and have only so much room on their schedules, but they have made time in their week to lend a hand to the Hobacks for a few years now.

“Honestly, here is sort of just like a breath of fresh air, like being away from campus, being away from that, and just spending time with Don and Jane and doing things,” Ruggiero said at the table. “It gets my mind off of everything at school.”

Elise Ruggiero lays out a sheet in the Hobacks' house in Newark on Sep. 6, 2024.

Elise Ruggiero lays out a sheet in the Hobacks’ house in Newark on Sep. 6, 2024.

Ruggiero is a senior at UD studying music performance and psychology. Skiena is studying human physiology with a minor in disability studies and is on the pre-med track. She plans on going to medical school after she graduates.

Both are very involved students on campus. They are at the Hobacks as a part of Lori’s Hands, a nonprofit connecting college students to community members with chronic illnesses. The organization began at UD in 2009 and has since grown to become its own independent organization.

Skiena joined her freshman year at UD after noticing the opportunity at the involvement fair. She has helped many people as a part of the organization and said it supplements her education as a disability studies minor.

There are over 200 students involved with Lori’s Hands in their Newark chapter, the majority of whom are Blue Hens. Since 2020, the organization has gone national, launching two more chapters in Baltimore and Detroit.

Abby Skiena vacuums a stairwell in the Hobacks' house in Newark on Sep. 6, 2024.

Abby Skiena vacuums a stairwell in the Hobacks’ house in Newark on Sep. 6, 2024.

The home Newark chapter keeps it local to keep students close to campus. According to chapter manager Sachi Menard, clients often are recommended Lori’s Hands by occupational therapists, social workers and other people in community and public health. Sometimes, people are referred to by simple word-of-mouth.

“We see ourselves as a really good supplemental resource for clients and area,” Menard said.

The Newark chapter is not exclusive to UD either. Menard said students from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Delaware State and Delaware Technical Community College are a part of the organization. While most students are available only during the school year, Lori’s Hands tries to fill in gaps in summer and winter.

Interested students can sign up to volunteer at their website. While the organization is not affiliated with any university or college, active enrollment in any higher education institution is required to volunteer. Anyone can refer clients to Lori’s Hands on their website, so long as they meet certain health and safety requirements and live in or around Newark.

After the students and Hobacks brought each other up to speed, it was go-time for Ruggiero and Skiena. They do a lot for the Hoback household, including weeding and decorating for holidays on top of regular domestic chores.

“I like my decorating, yes, and I have a lot of Halloween and Christmas,” Jane Hoback said. “It means a lot to me and my kids and grandkids and neighbors.”

Skiena began vacuuming the stairs to the upstairs bedrooms, where Ruggiero began making a bed. The students efficiently took care of business while the Hobacks refused to let them go home hungry, offering whatever snacks and drinks they could.

They’re college students on a tight budget, so they take the snacks as a thank you for the years of service.

For more information on how to become a Lori’s Hands volunteer, visit lorishands.org/become-a-student-volunteer.

Shane Brennan covers New Castle County with a focus on Newark and surrounding communities. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com. Follow @shanebrennan36 on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest news and updates.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: UD students can help people in the community through local nonprofit

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