Wednesday, December 25, 2002
The Christian hospital volunteers get a chance to spend Christmas with their families.
By VERONICA GORLEY
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Steven Shagrin will spend Christmas at the hospital -- just as he has for the past four years.
"I have nothing else to do on Christmas Day," joked Shagrin, a member of B'nai B'rith, an international Jewish organization committed to social justice, education and service to the community.
Shagrin, 46, is coordinator of "Operation Snowflake," a program offered by the local B'nai B'rith branch, Mahoning Lodge 339. The program enables Jewish volunteers to fill in for Christian volunteers who may want to spend Christmas Day with their families.
Operation Snowflake began 30 years ago as a service to St. Elizabeth Health Center, Shagrin said. Now, more than 30 volunteers fill in at hospital gift shops and information desks at St. Elizabeth's as well as St. Joseph Health Center, Sharon Regional Hospital, Horizon Hospital Systems' Greenville branch, and Forum Health Northside Medical Center.
Volunteers get day off
"I think it's just wonderful," said Ann DiTullio, Northside gift shop manager. "It allows the volunteers who work here every week to go home and enjoy their time with their family. They take volunteering very seriously, so this allows them to go spend time with their families without feeling guilty."
If it weren't for the service Operation Snowflake provides, many hospital gift shops wouldn't be open Christmas, Shagrin said. In fact, Operation Snowflake volunteers brought in record gift-store sales one year at St. Elizabeth's, he said.
This year, Shagrin is working the cash register at Northside's gift shop.
"It's knowing what key to push," Shagrin said. "Northside is nice because they color-code all their products. If it's tagged blue, you press the blue button."
Shagrin, who has been coordinator of Operation Snowflake since 1984, is also involved in Leadership Mahoning Valley, was a former president of Girard Liberty Rotary Club and volunteers at the Congregation Rodef Sholom synagogue. He said volunteering has been a part of his life from a young age.
"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Shagrin said. "Everyone's looking for a purpose, and if it's not to help others, what is it?"
A family effort
He began to volunteer his time at St. Elizabeth's while he was a teenager. Now, he volunteers with his teenager.
Shagrin's 14-year-old daughter, Allison Shagrin, will help him for a few hours of his shift and earn volunteer hours for her school, he said. She'll also spend time with his wife, Karen Shagrin, a pharmacist at Northside, who is also working Christmas.
"We make it a family day," he said. "It's a fun thing to do. I look forward to it every year."
The Operation Snowflake volunteers' efforts are greatly appreciated, DiTullio said.
"No matter what your religion celebrates -- Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa -- it's the spirit of giving," DiTullio said. "It's been a blessing, and I hope they can continue it."