WOMAN: AIDING KEEPS HER YOUNG : PRACTICING CHILDHOOD LESSONS, SENIOR DONATES TIME TO ELDERLY.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

Even though Dorothy Arnold's parents died when she was only 8, she was old enough to learn a cherished lifelong lesson from her father: Give of yourself for others.

The 77-year-old is doing just that. She rides a bus from her Friendly Valley home each day to the Santa Clarita Convalescent Hospital in Newhall to volunteer at least 12 hours a week and uplift some 90 patients' spirits.

Arnold plays bingo and ball-toss to strengthen her charges' coordination. She also cleans up the patients for lunch, plans parties and barbecues, and most importantly, takes them on walks and communicates with them about current events and their concerns, said Miriam Cristofalo, the hospital's administrator.

``Dorothy is a great person. She is the one we can depend on the most,'' Cristofalo said.

Arnold, who has worked with the elderly patients for five years - since her sister, May Hellman, died at the facility, said this is just the way she was raised to help others.

``We were taught to take care of people,'' she said. ``When you can do something to make these people smile, it's rewarding.''

In fact, she said, when her parents died, her sister, then 25, raised Arnold and her six siblings. She wants to give back what was given to her.

``This keeps me young. I want to take care of these people. I look forward to it,'' an energetic Arnold said. ``If you just say hello to them and ask them how they're doing, it means a lot to them.''

One patient, Josephine Proctor, 81, praised Arnold's unconditional efforts.

``I think they wake up more. It's good for them,'' she said, as Arnold played catch with her and about a dozen other patients. ``I call it health food. That's what we need.''

Arnold, who retired from a book-binding company, said she hopes to work as a volunteer with children one day, maybe reading to them.

She wants to write a thank-you letter to President Clinton and retired Gen. Colin Powell for their efforts in recent days to push volunteerism throughout the country through the Presidents' Summit for America's Future.

The summit, former President Bush said Tuesday, was about the anonymous regular people, about the hands-on volunteers who work with America's needy. The summit was called to encourage volunteerism, particularly for children.

The star-studded, symbol-filled event was big, but, organizers said, the danger threatening 15 million children is bigger. And the work of those who strive to improve their young lives must be greater yet.

``We have no choice. We have no choice but to do this,'' summit chairman Powell said during a closing ceremony in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. ``We have no choice but to go forward.''

The committed individuals who took time off work to attend the three-day summit have the will to do just that.

But whether they - and the summit - are successful will depend on the ability of government, businesses and community groups to combine their resources and coalesce around what the endeavor.

``I would like to see more young people volunteering,'' Arnold said.

Indeed, at Santa Clarita convalescent, Arnold is the only constant in the volunteer force, the administrator said. During Christmastime, the hospital is deluged with volunteers, but the spirit wanes with the season.

``It's too bad that it's not spread throughout the year,'' she said.

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Photo

Photo: (Color) Dorothy Arnold, 77, helps a resident into the dining room at Santa Clarita Convalescent Hospital in Newhall. Arnold volunteers at least 12 hours a week to help some 90 residents.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News