Dolores Arroyo of Niles is a volunteer at the Greater Niles Area Senior Center. She has volunteered as a receptionist for a year and a half.
What do you do?
I just come in on Thursdays and I work the reception area and I answer the telephones and just help the visitors that are coming into the building.

How did you become involved as a volunteer?
I’m retired and have been retired for a while. I wanted to have something that would keep me busy and active and put me back out there with people.

What would you say you get out of volunteering?
Oh gosh, just putting a smile on people’s faces. They come in and there are a lot of people out there that really need to connect with others and just making somebody’s day. Well I get back I think as much as they do meeting me. I get a lot back from working with the elderly. I’m elderly myself, but still you meet different people every day.

Why did you choose the Senior Center as the place where you wanted to volunteer?
Really I do not know. I started out looking for a part-time job and it has been a while since I have been back in the work force and I thought this would be a good place for me because it is people around my age and some are 20 years older than me and you get a lot back from working with elder people.

Why would you encourage other people to volunteer in their community?
It is all about paying it forward and giving back what you get and that is what happens when you volunteer. You volunteer and you basically kind of get that feeling back from other people that you are putting out there for them.