October 23, 2000

Make A Difference Day is a national day of helping others - a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of October. This year, that's Oct. 28.

Lisa Knapp, a nurse manager on Med 4, is heading the Health Center's effort.

Her project involves visiting people in nursing homes. "I read an article about people who were in nursing homes but never received visitors for a variety or reasons - their family members were all deceased, they had no friends or family in the area, etc. - and I found this to be so sad," she says, "that people could be so isolated even though they lived in a nursing home. I decided to volunteer by visiting these isolated elderly people and spending a few minutes talking to them."

Lisa's visits last between 20 and 30 minutes. She brings each person she visits a small gift, such as a pumpkin or a plant. This year she and her fellow volunteers plan to visit nursing homes close to the Health Center - in New Britain and West Hartford, for example. To volunteer during the weekend, send e-mail to: knapp@adp.uchc.edu.