ROSENTHAL, 90, STAYS BUSY BY VOLUNTEERING TO ASSIST OTHERS
Nancy Rosenthal is a 90-year-old Sun City resident who serves as president of the Widows & Widowers Club in Sun City and volunteers with the Lions Club, Staying Connected and Second Helpings.
Being idle just isn’t her nature. She relishes staying busy.
Rosenthal was a retired social worker when moved to the Lowcountry from the Hudson River Valley in New York more than six years ago. About four years ago, Rosenthal attended a volunteer fair in Sun City where she learned how to be a local volunteer.
At the Lions Club, volunteers help raise money for charities, sponsor a children’s camp and test more than 10,000 kids’ hearing and vision every year.
Rosenthal says she is very fortunate to be healthy and physically able to be a truck volunteer at Second Helpings.
“I volunteer because I have had a very fortunate life and I feel strongly that it is important to do for those not as fortunate as I am,” Rosenthal said. “It gives me great pleasure and satisfaction.”
Lili Coleman is executive director of Second Helpings, a volunteer agency that rescues food from grocery stores in Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties.
Coleman values Rosenthal’s dedication.
“She is proof that age is just a number and we are never too young or too old to give of our time and talents. The food pantries and soup kitchens we serve depend on Nancy and our other volunteers to rescue and deliver food each week,” she said. “We couldn’t exist without them.”
Kay Williams, a Second Helpings volunteer, is inspired by Rosenthal’s passion to help others.
“Nancy is a self-described doer,” Williams said. “She is one of those wonderful people who sees a need and rallies others to make things happen. She is inspiring to me and to other Second Helpings volunteers because we can all do more to help those who are hungry. We should all just be doers like Nancy.”
Rosenthal volunteers several days a week at Staying Connected, a nonprofit at Sun City Hilton Head that assists neighbors within the community’s gates. Volunteers drive people to doctor’s appointments and typically do home visits for one to two hours to help relieve caregivers. They also visit with those who need someone to talk to up to twice a week. Unfortunately, home visits are temporarily on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rosenthal says there are many opportunities to help. She encourages people to go to a meeting to learn more. She also welcomes people to reach out to her for guidance by emailing her at brandnan29@gmail.com.
To volunteer, contact Second Helpings (secondhelpingslc.org/get-involved/volunteer); Bluffton Lions Club (blufftonlions.org); or Staying Connected (stayingconnectedschh.org).
