By Jack Authelet, published in the Foxboro Reporter December 24, 2009

Not your typical to do list for a college student home for the holiday break: celebrate with the family, catch up with friends, prepare for a trip to London and Paris and visit with Pauline Brown at Doolittle Home.

Amanda Sosnowski just completed her first semester at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL as a marine science major with a minor in math. She really likes it there and enjoys the academic challenges but misses being close to family and Pauline.

During her junior and senior years at Foxborough High School, Amanda volunteered weekly at Doolittle Home as a friendly visitor for Pauline Brown. Amanda enjoys that she has gotten to know Pauline’s family and likes hearing the updates when they visit. She writes cards and letters for Pauline and brings her books from the library. They enjoy trips to the Trading Post to look for bargains and mostly just enjoy each other’s company. According to Amanda, “this started as a volunteer project but it quickly became an extension of my family. I consider my time with Pauline family time.”

For most high school students, even the most dedicated volunteers would say goodbye once they head off to college, but not Amanda. She continued to call Pauline at least a couple times a month to catch up on Pauline’s activities and her family and to share updates from college. Amanda knew how much Pauline would miss her visits so she encouraged her mom, Donna, to visit with Pauline and to bring her books from the library. Pauline enjoys the visits and feels more connected with Amanda by visiting with her mom.

Through a special scholarship program at college, Amanda leaves right after Christmas for an art history program in London and Paris visiting museums and touring the cities. She will write a thesis paper at the end. She has promised to send Pauline postcards and looks forward to sharing her experiences with Pauline when she returns.

“Who knew when I started volunteering that this would turn out to be such a special relationship in my life? “asked Amanda. Her time with Pauline has enriched her life and extended her family to include this very special lady.

Volunteers play important roles in the lives of residents at Doolittle Home. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact DeAnna Willis at 508-695-2694.

"There is one drawback to turning 100," confided Anne Stringer who hit the century mark Wednesday at Doolittle Home. "I can only do one thing at a time now. I was once able to do two or three things at a time but now its one thing at a time."

But that doesn't slow her down a bit. She usually wins at the weekly game of Bingo, and averages 87 when bowling, usually placing first or second in a field of seven. Anne has her own "walking track" on the second floor, enabling her to exercise daily. And weekly trips to Stop & Shop enable her to purchase some of her favorite things, including Hershey Kisses, blueberry tea, chocolate chip cookies and Moxie.

An accomplished knitter, she features her own patterns in many of her creations and she particularly enjoys weekly Trivia sessions through which she learned many new things.

A large cake and many balloons were the order of the day for her grand celebration and, surrounded by family, friends, fellow residents and staff, she was the life of the party.

Anne came to Doolittle Home in 2003, having spent many years at Pine Tree Gardens on Chestnut Street. She was married to the late Joe Stringer, whose family owned the first gas station on Route One in Wrentham, where they resided for many years. They had no children, but Anne enjoys her many nieces and nephews. Joseph Stringer, a nephew from North Carolina, hosted her party, much to the delight of all.

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"It takes a village to care for the elderly," said Doolittle Home Trustee Lynne Sarikas, paraphrasing the old African proverb about raising children, and never was the presence of a supporting village more obvious, she said, than at Saturday's 6th annual FCA/Doolittle Home auction.

A host of volunteers, a long list of generous donors -- many of whom have been part of every auction -- and the hundreds of people who phoned in bids helped raise $11,396. That total was more than enough to cover the cost of an adjustable diagnostics table for the nursing unit at Doolittle, news that was greeted with enthusiasm by residents and staff alike.

The top bid of the day was for the Homer White painting, "Two Deer," donated by Bob and Louise Poirier. A painting of Homer's has become a tradition for the Doolittle Auction, with one being featured each year.

Political bargaining: Senator James Timilty and Representative Jay Barrows didn't disappoint, responding to challenges from Auctioneer Bob Hickey as they tried again to outdo one another after having initially offered a personally guided tour of the Massachusetts State House.

Representative Barrows would welcome four on the tour, provide an official photo taken at the State House, and round off the day with lunch at the Omni Parker House.

Senator Timilty came back with lunch for four at Abe & Louie's Steakhouse. "A Duck Tour," added Barrows. "One person to sit in with me on the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security," countered Timilty, and with Bob Hickey still stirring the pot, Timilty added a tour of City Hall and the John Adams Courthouse (as a separate booking from the State House Tour) and he would include lunch for four at Seaport Grille and a round of golf for one at the Foxborough Country Club. While politics had nothing to do with it, they said, the Democrat took the lead with a high bid for the Timilty tour but both legislators, high in their praise of Doolittle Home, earned high praise for their spirited exchange.

"It was fascinating to see everything pull together," said Doolittle Home President Joanne Pratt. "The excitement kept building, and nowhere was it any more intensive than at Doolittle Home with residents spending the afternoon in front of their TV sets, watching it unfold. They had been caught up in the auction activities since the beginning, and were eagerly anticipating the results."

Even in a slow economy, bidders had "accommodations" on their mind, ranging from a week at the Maine vacation home of the Crimmins family, a week in a waterfront cottage in Eastham, courtesy of the Anderson family and $400 gift certificate for accommodations at America's premier RV Park at Normandy Farms.

For those more concerned about their own accommodations, bidding was spirited for the day of home repair services offered by Duncan Stowell, a first-time donor to the auction doing business as Done by Duncan. Some of his past clients were anxious to have him return, but they got outbid in a rush for his services.

It was a banner day for sports enthusiasts, the top draw being two Patriots home game tickets with parking donated by the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. The Charitable Trust, which has been a strong supporter of the Doolittle Auction since its inception, also donated an official NFL football autographed by the record-setting Richard Seymour which provided another major boost to bring the Home closer to its goal.

A numbered print of Tom Brady, courtesy of major donor Don Rodman who has been represented in each of the six auctions, is now hanging in the room of a young fan named Brady and the baseball signed by the famed Dustin Pedroia has brought instant celebrity status for its new owner thanks to the donation from the Boston Red Sox.

During a break in the action, Doolittle President Joanne Pratt was joined by Jack Authelet, immediate past president, as they spoke about entry options at Doolittle Home.

Trustee Lynne Sarikas who, together with Pratt, developed Doolittle's highly acclaimed marketing program, later joined Authelet to talk about volunteer opportunities at Doolittle Home.

The auction activity continued at a frantic pace, with considerable interest shown in the Log Cabin Doll House made and furnished by Pratt, two framed watercolors by Anne Alves of the Doolittle nursing staff, and a beautiful Thomas Kinkade print, "A Holiday Gathering," donated by John Linex. The donation of Estate Planning services by Atty. Jeff Lovely served as a reminder of details everyone should take care of, and one lucky bidder did.

From handmade to the latest in technology, donations knew no limits and the auction continued without a break until 6:30 p.m.

The major effort on behalf of Doolittle Home ended with expressions of appreciation by Pratt, first to trustee Lynda Walsh who chaired the event, to all of the donors, to the volunteers from Foxboro Cable Access who had been months in the planning and execution of the event who manned the cameras and operated the control room and scanning systems, to Bob Gillis who created the Doolittle web page and brought photos of all the items in the auction onto the screen during the event, to members of the Foxboro Jaycees who did all the "lugging and tugging" of setting up the auction, getting items out to the winning bidders, and helping to clean up after.

Guest auctioneers, including Doug Suess, Rick Plasmati, Jerry Cirillo, Monica Rigamonti, Pratt, Chris Martes, Sarikas and Ginny Coppola, with Hickey doing the honors on the Big Board, earned their accolades as well. The telephone operations were also lauded for long hours on the phone, as every bid had to come in over the published telephone number for the auction.

Special recognition went to the trustees and staff of Doolittle who were so active in the auction, the residents and their families, and the dietary staff of the Home which fed the volunteers both Friday night during rehearsal and again Saturday noon prior to the big event.

As the studio lights dimmed and families came to pick up what they had purchased, another tradition -- that had been building since the first Doolittle auction -- kicked in as weary volunteers joined in a large pizza party, compliments of the Foxboro House of Pizza.

To arrange a private tour or to receive additional information about Doolittle Home, please contact
DeAnna Willis, Executive Director at 508-543-2694. You can also visit our website at

www.doolittle-home.org

Doolittle Home is a public charity. All donations are gratefully accepted at the address above. Thank you.