Before Abby Skiena and Elise Ruggiero could get to work making and vacuuming the beds they came for, they broke up with Don and Jane Hoback after a long summer.
Don and Jane live a ten-minute drive north of the University of Delaware’s main campus, and there is more dust than usual on the tabletops around the house. The seasonal and brightly lit house was not in disarray, far from it. The Hobacks just need some help to fill in the gaps they can’t reach due to physical and time limitations.
“They do things we can’t do, and it means we can stay in the house,” said 84-year-old Jane Hoback.
“If I go down to do it, the only way I can get back up is to crawl to a piece of furniture because I can’t get up again,” Don Hoback, 85, said.
Sitting around the kitchen table, the students and Hobacks talked about life and summer events, almost like how family would talk after not seeing each other for a month. This debriefing takes a little longer than normal. Ruggiero and Skiena are both seniors at UD and have limited space in their schedules, but they have been making time in their week to help out the Hobacks for a few years.
“Honestly, this is kind of a relief, like being away from campus, being away from there, and just spending time with Don and Jane and doing things,” Ruggiero said at the table. “It takes my mind off everything at school.”
Ruggiero is a senior at UD studying music performance and psychology. Skiena is studying human physiology with a minor in disability studies and is pursuing the pre-med track. She plans to attend medical school after graduation.
Both are very involved students on campus. They are with the Hobacks as part of Lori’s Hands, a nonprofit organization that connects students with community members with chronic illnesses. The organization started at UD in 2009 and has now grown into its own, independent organization.
Skiena joined her freshman year at UD after noticing the engagement grant opportunity. She has helped many people as part of the organization and said it complements her education as a disability studies minor.
There are more than 200 students involved with Lori’s Hands in their Newark chapter, the majority of whom are Blue Hens. Since 2020, the organization has gone national and launched two more chapters in Baltimore and Detroit.
Newark’s home department keeps it local to keep students close to campus. According to chapter manager Sachi Menard, Lori’s Hands clients are often recommended by occupational therapists, social workers and other community and public health practitioners. Sometimes people are referred to by word of mouth.
“We see ourselves as a very good additional resource for customers and the region,” Menard said.
The Newark chapter is also not exclusive to UD. Menard said students from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Delaware State and Delaware Technical Community College are part of the organization. While most students are only available during the school year, Lori’s Hands tries to fill the gaps during the summer and winter.
Interested students can sign up to volunteer on their website. Although the organization is not affiliated with a university or college, active enrollment in an institution of higher education is required to volunteer. Anyone can refer customers to Lori’s Hands on their website, as long as they meet certain health and safety requirements and live in or around Newark.
After the students and Hobacks briefed each other, it was time for Ruggiero and Skiena. They do a lot for the Hoback household, including weeding and decorating for holidays, in addition to regular household chores.
“I love my decorating, yes, and I have a lot of Halloween and Christmas,” said Jane Hoback. “It means a lot to me, my children, grandchildren and neighbors.”
Skiena began vacuuming the stairs to the upstairs bedrooms, where Ruggiero began making a bed. The students took care of business efficiently, while the Hobacks refused to let them go home hungry and offered them all the snacks and drinks they could.
They are students on a limited budget, so they take the snacks as a thank you for their years of effort.
For more information on how to become a Lori’s Hands volunteer, visit lorishands.org/become-a-student-volunteer.
Shane Brennan covers New Castle County with a focus on Newark and surrounding communities. Please contact us with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com. Follow @shanebrennan36 on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest news and updates.
This article originally appeared in Delaware News Journal: UD students can help people in the community through local nonprofits
