Even before arriving in the US with her husband in February of 2008, Viktorija Petrauskaite knew she wanted to incorporate volunteering into her new life in New York City. Based on her experiences living in foreign countries, she knew how challenging it was to live somewhere without a network of social support. After looking into various nonprofits in the city, she came across JASA and decided to dedicate her time to assisting seniors in need of companionship.
Since September of 2005, Viktorija has been matched with Enid. For her, volunteering serves two equally important purposes: providing her with a new friend in an unfamiliar city and helping out a senior who was also looking for support. Viktorija has only been matched with Enid for 6 months, but it didn’t take long for the two to develop a close friendship. Early in their relationship, Viktorija introduced Enid to her husband. They both wanted to take Enid to Astoria, a place she had always wanted to visit, but had never got the chance to. Besides going on day trips, Enid and Viktorija, can most often be found chatting, drinking tea, sorting pictures, or making floral compositions. Viktorija reports that often time flies by so quickly that the setting sun is the only thing that reminds her that it’s time to leave.
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