May
2003
Have you ever considered volunteering your time and interest in one of the many Long-Term Care Centers (nursing homes) in Lubbock? Chances are there is one in your area of town filled with residents who would love to see your friendly face--folks who need to know that people still care about them and are willing to help make their lives a bit more enjoyable.
For many of us, there is a “there, but for the grace of God, go I” feeling in respect to nursing homes. It is a bit overwhelming to realize that a few years down the road, we may need to have the care that is offered there and we may not want to think about that possibility. However, if you volunteer in these facilities, it will allow you to understand a little more about life as a resident and things that you might want to consider should the time come that you or your relatives may need assistance.
here are so many ways that volunteers can contribute to making life a little better in these homes:
Clean and grease wheels on someone’s wheelchair.
Sew on buttons and fix residents’ clothing.
Help the activity director as she leads exercise activities (and get a bit of movement in for yourself!)
Serve coffee and provide a bit of conversation, read newspapers and talk about current events with residents during coffee hour in the morning.
Provide and implement art and crafts ideas.
Take books, tapes, writing materials, etc. to the bedside of those who cannot get out of bed and read to them or help them to write letters.
Give manicures (filing, cutting nails, massaging in lotion, polishing, etc.)
Help the residents play Bingo or other games.
Sing and/or play a musical instrument for the residents to enjoy (you don’t have to be a professional!)
Tell stories or record the stories they tell about their life experiences.
Help at special occasion parties, getting the residents to the party area, serving them, and helping to clean up.
Some of the Long-Term Care Centers where our volunteers are currently helping out are: Bender Terrace, Carillon House, Grace House, Heritage Oaks, Lakeside Care Center, Lubbock Health Care, Lubbock Hospitality House, Lutheran Home, Quail Ridge Alzheimer Center, and Southhaven Residential Care Home. Most any nursing home would love to have a bit of your time to make life better for their residents’. There is never enough paid staff to provide the special touches a volunteer can bring into the nursing home setting. The staff can provide for the physical needs of their residents, but it takes your caring interest to brighten their days. Think about it!
OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY “Seniors for Habitat” chapter is seeking mature men and women who would like to have fun, learn new skills and share their talents while building a home for a family in need. No previous experience is required. In addition to workers, several key positions are available for folks who understand construction and can teach others how to build, or can find donations and develop fund raisers, or a very organized person who would be responsible for volunteer recruitment and recognition, or a person with media background who has marketing and public speaking experience, or someone who could find and direct training instructors for non-experienced volunteers. This is a chance for interested seniors to be a part of a “make it happen” team and really accomplish something of lasting value in our community.
MEALS ON WHEELS, 2304 34th St., would love to have some new folks who could deliver meals in the summer months. Some of their volunteers are in school groups who are not available in the summer, and also several steady volunteers take a well-deserved vacation during that time. It only takes about one hour to deliver a route and you can go as often as you choose. A one-hour orientation is required before you are asked to deliver. This would be a great opportunity to try out a Meals on Wheels assignment and see the difference you can make in the lives of homebound people.
To volunteer, or for more information about these or other volunteer positions, please call the RSVP office at 742-2423.
HOW do I join RSVP?
Becoming a member of RSVP is simple as long as you are at least 55 and have some time to volunteer. Just call the office at 742-2423 and chat with Ronda Casey or Bonne Phillips about your interests. If you are not certain what you would like to do, we can mention several current volunteer opportunities and send you a list of the sort of jobs which RSVP members are presently doing to whet your appetite. If you have a special skill or talent that you would like to utilize, we will search to find just the right job for you. Just mail in the
enrollment form
(requires Adobe Reader) and we will call you!
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