Southampton - The Dominican Sisters Family Health Service, Inc. (DSFHS) organization threw a fund raising bash on Thursday, February 23, at the Southampton Publick House in recognition of the volunteers who assist in their Interfaith Volunteer Program, which focuses on providing transportation services for community residents.

Pam Ash is all smiles.

The mission statement of DSFHS indicates that "The DSFHS is a community based, certified, non-profit Home Health Agency that provides compassionate, professional, holistic and family focused home health care to all persons regardless of race, creed, or color. Services foster a quality of life which promotes human growth and independence. Special emphasis is given to care for the poor, the marginalized and the elderly. The agency has provided compassionate, professional and holistic family-focused care to the residents of Suffolk County since 1961. In addition to Suffolk County, the agency provides home health care in Westchester and the South Bronx."

The Interfaith Volunteers gave 17,113 hours of service to the community in 2009, and they deserved a party - and a party they received!

According to Marianne Bogannam, Development Coordinator for the DSFHS, "The Interfaith Volunteer Program is a special adjunct program to the certified home care programs. Hundreds of volunteers transport residents to different doctors' offices, therapy, dialysis appointments, and other necessary appointments that allow people to live at home but who are unable to drive. These volunteers use their own vehicles, pay for their own gas, and vehicle maintenance and transport residents from across the South and North Forks, and Brookhaven" Bogannam indicated

She went to relay "These people may be frail or have other issues that do not allow them to drive, and we provide door-to-door service, and our volunteers will wait for as long as an appointment takes, and then return the resident back home."

Sister Margaret Mary, Karen Perlow, Bookeeper, and Alice Cilio, Assistant To Development Coordinator handled the welcome desk and raffle tickets.

Barbara Kujawski who heads the Interfaith Volunteer Program, explained "The Interfaith Volunteer program was instituted about 12 years ago under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to specifically set up a transportation program. That grant ran out many years ago, and we have kept the program going with our volunteers and, of course, our fund raising efforts and benefits."

Kujawski also indicated "We also have thrift stores [in Sag Harbor, Hampton Bays, and Greenport - the Greenport store carries furniture as well], and provide and deliver Thanksgiving Day dinners that students in the Culinary program at Suffolk County Community College prepare, and other services that are all maintained on a volunteer basis. We provide services five days a week, no weekends. We also do shopping for disabled adults, the elderly, shut-ins, and maintain services for well over 100 people."

Guests John and Tracy Zaweski with Don Sullivan of the Southampton Publick House enjoy the evening.

When asked the average age of volunteers Kujawski noted "Our volunteers are mostly in their early 50s and up, some retirees, but many who have a sense of community and want to help. We sometimes have students from area schools, particularly Hampton Bays High School, who are required to fulfill a certain number of community service hours before graduation, and those kids are wonderful and helpful - particularly lifting items in the thrift stores!" Kujawski also added "Our volunteers are dedicated people who come to every event, and are inclined to have a 'stick-to-it' mentality, even in rough economic or personal times, they have always been there."

Ronald Krawczyk of Hamptons State Bank, Val Franklin of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Committee member Tom Bourke.

One member of the DSFHS organization who spoke about the wonderful efforts of the volunteers was Sister Margaret Mary Rottinghaus, Ret. Sister Margaret Mary has been a nun for 60 years, and is also a nurse. She stated "This transportation program has been a wonderful asset to the elderly population, as the lack of transportation can be very upsetting to those involved in our programs, as well as their families and caregivers." Sister Margaret Mary spent years in the Ossing location of DSFHS, but has been in Hampton Bays now for 40 years. Her beatific smile and enthusiasm revealed much of what DSFHS has been doing for others.

Volunteer Pam Spano.

A little background on the Dominician Sisters reveals "In the late 1870s, Mary Walsh, an immigrant, became intensely aware of the needs of the poor, the sick and families faced with dissolution during illness. From 1879 to 1910, Walsh and a small band of valiant women cared for the sick in their own homes. They supported themselves and their works of mercy by taking in laundry and reaching out to benefactors for help. In 1910, the church recognized these heroic women as a new religious congregation, Dominican Sisters of the Sick Poor, the first community based Catholic Visiting Nurse Service in the New York Archdiocese."

Pamella Ash, RN, Administrator of DSFHS, welcomed all guests and thanked all volunteers and sponsors, including Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, J. Ronald Scott Funeral Home, Southrifty Drug, Hamptons State Bank, Lynch's Garden Center, O'Connell Funeral Home, and Brockett Funeral Home. Of course, the funeral homes took the brunt of many good-natured and amusing jokes.

The evening was set, despite the horrendous rain storm pelting the roof of the always welcoming Southampton Publick House, with Don Sullivan in attendance making sure everyone was having a good time. The nominal ticket price of $30 included beer, wine, limited cocktails, delicious hors d'oeuvres, a raffle, and live music provided by the very entertaining The Filthy Crickets, whose members Mike Salaway (keyboard, vocals), Carl Neuberger (lead guitar), Jim Kennedy (drums), Mario Mendoza (harmonica, vocals), Chris Shaljian (vocals), and Lon Dolber (bass) played great cover tunes, including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Santana, Motown, and others, that had everyone taking to the dance floor to show off their smooth moves.

Members of The Filthy Crickets provided great music that had everyone up on the dance floor.

This group of friends have been playing publicly for just a year, but their musical skill, repertoire and interaction with the audience showcased their ability to make everyone feel good with familiar tunes and great musicianship. For more information on the band go to www.thefilthycrickets.com.

Good friends, devoted volunteers, great food and music, plus the knowledge that volunteerism is alive and well on the East End made for an enjoyable evening had by all, and congratulations to Shirley Corazzino for winning the $500 raffle, whose ticket was ably plucked from the glass jar by committee member Tom Bourke.

This evening also served as a reminder that the hard work, dedication and compassion of a few can have life-changing benefits for many.

For more information or to make a donation contact Dominican Sisters Family Health Services, Inc., P.O. Box 1028, 31 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, NY 11946, 631-728-0937, or go to www.dsfhs.org.