Julie Wright

When Julie Wright resigned from her part-time, position with a CPA firm, she decided that she would share her time and talents with the seniors that take advantage of the programs and facilities offered at the Arlington Heights Senior Center. She described herself as a “professional volunteer.” “Volunteering gets me out of the house; I love being with people, and I enjoy what I do,” Wright said. Wright has been teaching the Rules of the Road class at the center since 1988. The purpose of the class is to relieve anxiety for seniors who are required to renew their driver's licenses. During the class she reviews the material that is contained on the written exam and the vision testing. “My greatest pleasure is when a student comes up to me and says that they passed the test, and all was fine – many times with 100% on the written test,” she said.

Basic computer classes sponsored by the Arlington Heights Library are also offered at the center, and Wright has been one of the volunteer instructors for at least ten years. Wright explained that the classes provide a non-threatening environment that allows the students to learn how to use a computer so that they can e-mail their grandchildren, search the web, and send Christmas letters to friends and family.

Income tax counseling is another service provided for the elderly as a joint effort by AARP and the IRS, and Wright prepares income tax returns for seniors at the center. In addition, for the last three years she has also been training other volunteers to provide this service. This service relieves a lot of the tension connected with preparing their income tax returns, and saves them money, since it is a free program for low-income seniors, Wright added.

Karen Hansen, Manager, Arlington Heights Senior Center, is extremely proud of the hours of service contributed by Wright, and all the volunteers, who make such a tremendous contribution to the many programs and services that are offered at the center. “Julie and her husband are very active at the senior center, and they both prepare income tax returns for the seniors. Julie participated in, and did data entry work, for the first senior center needs assessment survey that was done in 1993 as part of the planning for our present facility,” Hansen said.

In her spare time Wright is active in a variety of other volunteer activities. She belongs to a crochet group that makes baby afghans for the PHD (Preserving Human Dignity) organization, lap robes for the Shriners' Children's Hospital, and is an active member of Southminster Presbyterian Church. She was born in Great Falls, Montana, and while living in the Philippines as a child, she and her parents spent three years and one month in a prisoner of war camp during World War II. She and her husband, Don, have two sons, Jim and Ed; and two grandchildren. Wright has a B.A. in astronomy, and loves to travel. Her travels have taken her to 73 countries, and she is looking forward to increasing that number.

To obtain information as to how you can perform meaningful volunteer work in your local community contact The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago (all ages) at 847-228-1320, or the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Seniors age 55 or better) at 847-228-1006. Check their website www.volunteerinfo.net for a description of the hundreds of types of opportunities for service that are available.

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