Volunteer Supports Center Communities of Brookline Residents

McKenzie Griffin connected with Hebrew SeniorLife when she was a freshman at Boston University, and her school community service group visited Center Communities of Brookline.

She was deeply impacted by the experience of meeting and hearing residents’ stories, and felt “finally a part of the Boston community.” So once she graduated and could dedicate more time, Griffin joined CCB as a volunteer.

For the last year and a half, Griffin has run Balance Clinics, an independent living program in which residents are guided through a series of movement exercises designed to improve balance and decrease fall risk. As with her paid work at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Griffin finds it fulfilling to play a supportive role in " helping people get better.”

Everyone comes to Balance Clinic with different backgrounds and experiences, especially surrounding exercise. Many residents sometimes start off frustrated with themselves and their progress. Griffin helps them through these challenges by taking an individualized approach, checking in before and after class with each resident, assessing if there’s anything they specifically want to work on, and making sure everyone feels supported and involved. She also helps make exercise fun. “Be excited about it,” Griffin says, “and they will too.”

One resident Griffin especially worked with was Margaret, who attended the clinic since Griffin’s first day with the goal of improving walking without a walker. The two took it one step at a time (figuratively and literally), celebrated the little wins along the way, and now Margaret feels more stable than a year ago, able to walk holding onto the gym bar alone during sessions. Griffin has helped her residents grow stronger and more confident, able to go on walks and be excited to move their bodies and join other exercise classes.

Griffin’s advice to new volunteers is not to be afraid to jump right in! Be yourself, and remember that volunteering is a great opportunity to get to know many types of people, so “take advantage of how special that is.”

To become a volunteer, email: HSLVolunteerEngagement@hsl.harvard.edu