Since 1974, a national celebration of volunteers and the many services they provide has been a yearly event across the country. About one quarter of our American population volunteer in some capacity within their community. That’s nearly 63 million people giving their time and energy to do something selfless that will benefit another person, animal or organization that is in need.
Volunteers within the senior community also provide invaluable talents and compassion to seniors living in nursing homes or other senior retirement communities. You may not think that serving coffee and sharing conversation with residents is a worthwhile cause, but it most certainly is. If you enjoy spending time with the senior generation, listening to their stories and words of wisdom, you should consider volunteering your time at a local senior living community.
There is a wide range of activities and tasks that volunteers can perform, such as helping with activities… think games, making seasonal crafts and going on outings with the residents. Volunteers can provide various services, like offering free manicures to the residents, or sorting and delivering mail. Many volunteers bring musical entertainment in for the residents, which are always a hit as everyone loves a good performance!
The theme for 2017’s National Volunteer Week, celebrating April 23-29th, is “Service Unites”, and is sponsored by Points of Light. Service Unites captures the power of people coming together with a united goal of building stronger, better communities through service.
If you are the recipient of services provided by volunteers, take a moment to thank them for their time and the talent or service they are providing. Volunteers do not give of themselves for fame or recognition, but it always sounds nice to hear someone say, “thank you”. And if you are not among the 63 million Americans currently volunteering, we encourage you to find a cause that you are interested in and learn more about how you can share your energy and talents. Please visit our Evergreen Senior Living website and reach out to us if you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities available in our communities.
