NY1's latest Queens People of the Week are proving age is nothing but a number. Leisha Majtan introduces us.
After Briarwood resident Fred Michel retired from his career as a bookkeeper, he says he needed something to keep him busy.
"You have to do something! You need a reason to get out of bed in the morning!" said volunteer Fred Michel.
Michel began volunteering at senior centers across the borough but enjoyed his time at the Rego Park Senior Center so much that he decided to stay.
That was almost five years ago. Now, he’s a dedicated volunteer.
Five days a week, he checks in members and helps serve them lunch.
"I think volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community and to keep yourself stimulated and interested," Michel added. Michel is not the only one.
Of the nearly 200 regular members, about 50 of them donate their time to the center.
They cook, give dance lessons, and teach tai chi.
"Our retirement is not really a retirement!" said Rosemary Ng, another volunteer at the center. "We are starting another career in volunteering ourselves and it's really wonderful."
The center director says she’s noticed the positive impact that giving back has on the volunteers.
"They gain from being a volunteer. They enjoy being volunteers. They feel alive," said center director Irene Sarkisova.
Michel says it gives him a sense of pride that keeps him coming back day after day...
"It feels wonderful! It's a sense of purpose, it gives me a reason, it makes my day go by and I feel very fulfilled," added Michel.
And so for helping their fellow seniors stay young at heart, the volunteers at the Rego Park Senior Center are our Queens People of the Week.