The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that three studies have shown that seniors who volunteer add years to their lives. As volunteering requires a level of social interaction, it’s suspected that the socialization helps the elderly avoid depression and loneliness, both of which impact the health.
You want to get your mom to volunteer, but you’re not sure where to start. Talk to your mom first and get an idea of what most appeals to her. Maybe she wants to work with kids, or, perhaps, the thought of helping cook nutritious meals is more to her liking. Here are some of the best ways to get your mom started with volunteering.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
Is your mom good with numbers? AARP holds training programs for people who want to volunteer to help other seniors complete their yearly taxes. If she doesn’t want to actually help prepare taxes, she can volunteer as a greeter and help clients organize paperwork while waiting for a volunteer tax preparer.
Alz.org
Every local Alzheimer’s Association chapter needs volunteers throughout the year. Even if your mom isn’t overly mobile, she can volunteer to help in the office doing paperwork, stuffing envelopes, or answering phones. There are other volunteer options for seniors who are mobile, such as participating in fundraising walks or talking to area politicians to raise Alzheimer’s awareness.
American Cancer Society
Talk to an American Cancer Society chapter near your mom. Often they need volunteers who can talk to others about their experience with cancer, drive patients to chemotherapy or radiation appointments, or help out in the office.
Senior Corps Foster Grandparents
Maybe your mom would like to work with kids. Foster Grandparents pairs a senior with a child for companionship, guidance learning to read, or help with homework. Your mom becomes a mentor to a child who may or may not come from an abusive home, has a disability, or comes from a low-income household where the money for tutors isn’t available.
Warm Up America
Does your mom knit? Warm Up American needs volunteers to crochet or knit 9 x 7-inch sections that will be used to make hats, blankets, clothing, and scarves for the less fortunate. The organization also accepts completed items.
No matter how your mom opts to volunteer, transportation shouldn’t be a factor. If your mom no longer drives and you can’t get her to the location for volunteering, look into caregivers. Caregivers help with housework, meals and many other tasks of daily living that have become difficult, and they can also drive your mom to and from her appointments. Call today to find out more.
Sources:
https://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/healthbenefits_factsheet.pdf
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Caregivers in Gulfport, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
