When talking about neighborhood residents Joan and Elly Feldman, the question isn’t where do they volunteer, but where do they not volunteer? Together, this husband and wife team have contributed more than 17,000 hours over the last 15 years at Parkland Hospital. Whether they are assisting visitors in the gift shop or helping patients in the emergency room, Joan and Elly are known for their compassion.
"Parkland has a concentration of an awful lot of people who need an awful lot of help," says Elly.
Parkland is just one organization that benefits from their big hearts. Since the couple moved to Dallas in 1963, Joan’s volunteering has taken her to St. Paul Medical Center, the Visiting Nurse Association’s Meals on Wheels program and the National Council of Jewish Women.
Her husband found his niche serving the homeless. After seeing a news story on the plight of the homeless in downtown Dallas, Elly decided to something about it. So every Tuesday since 1988, he has served lunch to the clients of Trinity Works.
Boy Scouts, Better Business Bureau, Dispute Mediation Services, Contact Dallas, AIDS Arms Network, North Dallas Shared Ministries and the Dallas Commission for Foreign Visitors — each of these charitable organizations has been a recipient of the Feldman’s willingness to serve others.
"We just love working with people and helping people solve their problems," says Joan.
For more information about volunteer opportunities at Parkland or any of these agencies, call the Volunteer Center at 214-826-6767.
