Volunteer Spotlight

When SLO Village volunteer Nicki Edwards, picks up members Claude and Melba Alvis for their physical therapy appointments, Claude often looks straight at Nicki and simply says, "I have four questions for you." He's been thinking about what he wants to talk to her about and Nicki is thrilled that another interesting discussion is about to begin.

"I look forward to seeing both Claude and Melba," says Nicki, a retired nurse and administrator. "We have great discussions about health and education since Claude is a retired principal from San Luis Obispo. We've talked about homeschooling during the pandemic and all sorts of things."

Nicki has volunteered for SLO Village for over two years. She drives members like Claude and Melba to and from their appointments, does grocery shopping and has even painted wood preservatives on a member's garden fence and raised beds. A master gardener and a woman of many talents, Nicki not only shares with our members knowledge from her work experience and many interests, but she also exudes energy and an enthusiasm for life.

"I read about SLO Village in the Tribune and I really liked the idea of it - keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible," she says. "I've always liked helping people and SLO Village gives me a flexible way to do that. I can look on the portal and choose when I volunteer. I love the people at SLO Village - the members, other volunteers, the board and the staff."

For 40 years, Nicki worked in various capacities as a nurse. She loved working in the ER, where she collaborated with coworkers from different disciplines and addressed issues for the first time, all the while educating families and helping them cope with loss and fear. She later taught nursing and other health-related topics and eventually earned a PhD in Nursing Science from UC San Francisco. Her dissertation research was on ethical decision making in nursing, which she found fascinating. The latter part of her career she spent here in San Luis Obispo at Sierra Vista as the chief nursing officer and advocate for nurses.

An avid hiker, quilter and seamstress, Nicki is making the best of her retirement, reading two books a week, singing in two choirs, the Master Chorale, and the Canzona Women's Ensemble, visiting her grandkids and, of course, helping members of SLO Village.

"Nicki has been driving us for about two years now," says Claude. "She knows a lot about gardening and even planted some purple blooming bushes at our house about a year ago. Nicki is very compassionate and a great conversationalist. We love her and all of our helpers from SLO Village."
Thank you, Nicki!