Trudy Schwarz
Volunteer
Margaret Tietz Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
Community Involvement: Trudy Schwarz, 89, has been a volunteer with the Margaret Tietz Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation for more than 20 years.
She first became involved when her own mother was a patient at the facility, and she was impressed by the quality of care.
Today, Schwarz has a “shopping cart” of cookies, candies and toiletries that she brings around to the patients on four different floors. “It gives the residents a little autonomy,” she said.
In addition to her volunteerism, Schwarz sits on the board of the Hillcrest Civic Association and is involved in local political clubs.
PERSONAL: Schwarz, who now lives in Jamaica but was born in Germany (she came to the United States in 1946 and today says, “America is my home”), has three children - one son in California, one in Boston, and a daughter in New York.
Professionally, she was a physical therapist for 45 years. She worked until she was 78 years old, she said.
When asked what her biggest accomplishment has been, she responded, “I think raising nice children.”
FAVORITE MEMORY: “I enjoyed traveling with my [late] husband,” Schwarz said. Of her volunteer efforts, she notes, “I like making people happy - it is one of the reasons I work at Tietz. Visiting the residents is more important than giving them cookies.”
She went on to say, “I just feel so lucky I got out of Germany [when I did] - I feel I should give back.”
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “To keep myself healthy and going,” she said. Schwarz attributes her longevity - and her commitment - to her genes and her parents, who did a lot of charitable work. “I hope to live to be 98 or 100 and continue doing what I do now.”
