The residents of Starling at Nocatee Independent Living enjoy a myriad of activities. It seems there’s always something fun to do.
But a little more than a year ago, some of them went to a friend, Transportation Director Nancy Cross, and said they wanted something more, something that appealed to their desire to give of themselves, something that added greater meaning.
“I actually had residents approach me and say, ‘We want to give back to the community. We want to get involved in projects,’” Cross recalled.
Cross spoke with her boss about granting her time to devote to this idea, as well as some resources. She found the Starling administration “100% supportive.” So, the residents and Cross met to generate ideas, and the Starling Kindness Crew was born.
Residents collect items for local nonprofits, conduct outreach efforts and volunteer regularly.
“Our mission is rooted in kindness, service and supporting organizations that uplift individuals, families and animals in need throughout our region,” according to Cross.
Once word got out, organizations actually began contacting the Crew to ask for help and offer volunteer opportunities. And the number of residents participating in these efforts has blossomed, seemingly overnight, to about 30.
“This is such a popular activity that, when we take the bus, we have a waiting list for residents who want to go to volunteer,” Cross said.
And age is no barrier. Many of the participants are in their 80s and 90s. One volunteer is 100.
“We have a very active senior group,” said Cross, “and they come from all different backgrounds and careers, and they all have something to bring to the group.”
“I enjoy getting out for the day and helping people,” said Marilyn Franz. “I’m a volunteer at heart, so this is what we do.”
The group organizes regular collections of canned food, clothing and more for organizations like Pie in the Sky St. Augustine, the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, the St. Johns Pet Center, Port in the Storm, St. Francis House, the Betty Griffin Center, Rethreaded and the Flagler Humane Society. In addition, they sponsor the Free Little Pantry at a St. Augustine church.
Participants maintain a Free Little Library at Pie in the Sky, collect eyeglasses for the Lions Club and support the Alpha Omega Miracle Home through donations.
They have volunteered with the Betty Griffin Thrift Store, Pie in the Sky St. Augustine, The Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, St. Francis-in-the-Field Church in Ponte Vedra, Starling at Ponte Vedra and The Arc Jacksonville Village.
And the Starling Kindness Crew is always a welcome sight. The residents of The Arc Jacksonville Village, for instance, look forward to the arrival of their friends from the Crew, who will do crafts with the residents or simply visit with them.
“The interaction is amazing,” said Cross. “How they light up and they’re so happy when we’re there! But it’s a give-and-take, because our residents are happy, too.”
Some collections and volunteering outings are on a schedule, but some result from an organization reaching out seeking help.
“I just send out an email blast: Hey, anybody available who can do this? I give them the material and, bam, it’s done,” Cross said. “They love doing it. They’ll take on any task. There’s nothing too challenging for them to do.”
“I think it’s great to be able to do for others who are less fortunate than you are,” said Kathryn Dec, who has been with the Starling Kindness Crew from the beginning. “Their appreciation and gratitude is just overwhelming.”
In collecting toiletries, cleaning products, food, baby items and more, Dec said she has found that the people at Starling at Nocatee Independent Living are very generous.
During the holiday season, the Starling Kindness Crew conducted a gift collection for children served by the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County.
“We collected so much that we were able to share it with another charity,” Cross said. “It was that successful.”
In fact, Starling Kindness Crew participant Roger Lytle dressed as Santa Claus for the occasion.
Interaction is always an important part of the group’s efforts. Even when donating items, there’s more to it than simply dropping the collected articles off.
“We learn about the facility, how it works, all the operations of it, and everybody usually leaves in awe, complete awe,” said Cross.
One of the things that Cross said was a “huge education” for everyone involved was the level of need in this otherwise wealthy county.
The experience has been “very eye-opening,” she said. And the need extends to groups of all kinds: seniors, children, teens, the homeless and more.
“It’s unbelievable the amount of low-income seniors in St. Johns County who rely on food banks,” she said.
Cross praised Starling at Nocatee Independent Living and the Starling administration for making this possible.
“I’m just so blessed that I work for a company like Starling,” she said.
