To be honest, my initial goal was quite simple: to offer my time to people in need. I didn’t ask myself any particular questions about my commitment. It didn’t take me long to discover the wonderful work that the Sisters Hospitallers do with people with disabilities. Not knowing anything about the world of mental and physical disabilities when I arrived, they were able to guide me and teach me to love the difference. Thanks to them, I went from being a simple visitor on Saturday mornings to becoming a friend of the residents, eager to get to know them.
Little by little, as I entered this Home on two Saturday mornings a month, thanks to the smiles and kindness of the Sisters, I felt I was entering the home of a family. To my great joy, as I got to know the Sisters, the residents and the staff, I felt that I was becoming a full member of this hospital family.
Together, we have experienced moments of intense joy (fairs, vow ceremonies, residents’ communions, etc.) and difficult moments (loss of a resident or a Sister, fire in the house, etc.). We have laughed, cried and prayed together, like a real family!
Moved by the life of this house, I accepted to become one of its administrators, and even the secretary of the Benito Menni Association, in charge of managing the houses in Paris and Marseille. My sole objective in accepting this responsibility was to participate in the decision-making process to improve the lives of all the occupants of this house. Today, Maison Sainte Germaine continues its journey within the Saint Jean de Dieu Foundation, and my objective in coming here is twofold: to continue to visit the residents, but also to continue to respond to the various requests of the Sisters, to my great joy, such as checking a text translated from Spanish into French, taking the wheel of the house vehicle to go and pick up residents returning from a pilgrimage to the station, helping with a removal or sorting boxes in a cellar….. What a pleasure to be able to help the Sisters in their daily life when you see the work they do with the residents!

Today I realise all the benefits I have gained over the past 25 years. When I arrived at Santa Germana, I remember that one of the first pieces of advice given by Sister Soledad, who was then in charge of the volunteers, was to give the residents as much autonomy as possible and not to do anything in their place, whatever their disability.
I am quite a lively person, so I have learned to be patient…. But what a reward to see the smile on a resident’s face when you have taken the time to sit next to him, listen to him and not formulate the answers for him! What a joy to see a resident so happy to have found a shower gel after 25 minutes of dithering in front of a shop shelf. I realised that I don’t like being cut off or having someone else decide for me what is best for me either, so why do it to others under the pretext that they are slower?
I have learned to see the residents of Casa Santa Germana as “normal” people with their own likes, joys and sorrows. Don’t we all need consideration? Everyone has their own story and deserves to be respected and listened to.
For many years I worked in a bank where the words “profitability”, “financial returns” and “competitiveness” were part of my everyday vocabulary. When I walked through the door of this centre, I exchanged these words for “giving”, “human benefits”, “benevolence” and many others that are much more humane. I have found joy in giving freely to the residents, and very often I have been rewarded a hundredfold with a wonderful smile or an awkward caress. I cannot describe how happy I feel when I walk in the door and the residents greet me with shouts of joy.
Of course, there are difficult moments in the home when it comes to living together, but you will always find a resident determined to settle the argument or help another resident in need – a great life lesson! I have often arrived at Santa Germana on a Saturday morning with my mind full of the week’s worries and, after chatting or playing with the residents, I was left with renewed energy.
I cannot fail to mention the smiles of the Sisters when they see you arrive and the way they welcome you as if you were a member of the family. I have lost count of the kind words received from each of them and the number of times a plate is quickly added to the table to invite you to share the community meal.
Since I have been a volunteer at Santa Germana home, my view of people with disabilities has changed. I do not hesitate to talk about my commitment to my personal and professional environment. I even recently accepted to co-facilitate a discussion group for parents of children with disabilities, where my role is to listen to the problems raised by the parents.
So, 25 years later, I have no regrets about answering this advertisement!