“Mayor” Gaskins of Springvale Terrace wins Esteemed Volunteerism Award

Andy Gaskins, a Seabury at Springvale Terrace resident who is commonly referred to by many staff and community members as “The Mayor,” has been entered into the Maryland Senior Citizen Hall of Fame for his “exemplary contributions to society.”

Why call Andy the Mayor, you might ask? In his 16 years as a resident, Andy, a retired psychologist and veteran, has made a point to engage many of his neighbors and their families in activities that he has developed, worked on, or volunteered for to foster a more inclusive and supportive community. Among his roles at Springvale, Andy leads the Saturday morning social hour, is the disk jockey for parties, started the Wii bowling leagues, and captures so much of Springvale life on camera.

Every morning, Andy checks the daily events calendar and sets out not only to participate in, but also to document through photos the lives of Springvale Terrace residents and their families, many whom have come to depend on him for capturing those memories. One resident let Andy know that the picture he took of her with her daughter was the first one she had of them together since her daughter was in high school. While emotionally challenging for Andy, it’s not uncommon for him to collect pictures for the family members of someone who has passed on.

Springvale Terrace staff, such as Gabrielle Davies, Director of Marketing, and Victor Armstrong, the activities coordinator, work closely with Andy on many of the events set up for residents. Gabrielle recognized Andy’s commitment to the community and nominated him for the Maryland Senior Citizen Hall of Fame for Service award, which he received in October. The award program, which began in 1987, seeks to “recognize, acknowledge, and honor the volunteer civic and humanitarian accomplishments and achievements of individual Maryland senior citizens.” We at Seabury also would like to recognize Andy for his commitment to the Springvale Terrace community and thank him for his service.