Carol Olivieri, a member of St. James Parish, Pennington, and former executive director of the Health Care Ministry of Princeton, was recently honored as a Shining Light by Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County in recognition of her 19 years of service to the elderly. 

In 1993, Olivieri started a part-time job with the Health Care Ministry, assisting a Sister of Mercy, Sister Ancilla, to provide services to the elderly.  Sister Ancilla and Princeton Council, Knights of Columbus, founded the HCM in 1984 with the mission of assisting the elderly to remain independent in their homes as long as that was safely possible.

In 1996, Olivieri became the executive director, and until March 2013, she led the HCM through a period marked by growth in the demand for services for the elderly.  Not only did the number of individuals requesting services increase, but the nature of the help needed changed as more family members sought help in caring for their elderly relatives and more elderly were trying to remain at home despite quite complex medical problems.  Her tenure was marked by a continuation in the HCM’s ability to provide free, individualized services to an extremely diverse client group through the use of a large number of dedicated and talented volunteers.  Volunteers provided the core services of health-related transportation, food shopping, and friendly visiting.  More attention was given to the needs of family caregivers and a unique home safety program funded by grants was developed.

“We always needed to find low-cost and creative ways to fulfill our mission.  That challenge made each day a fresh opportunity and gave me so many reasons for satisfaction.  I have been so enriched through the clients, volunteers, and staff members I’ve known.  A job like this is truly a gift,” said Olivieri in reflecting upon those 19 years.