Tell A Friend | Contact Us | Translate to Spanish

  

 
June 2007

The beginning of the summer months means vacations for all of us but unfortunately it also means vacations from some of our regular volunteer duties, too. One of the hardest hit is Lubbock Meals on Wheels. They get many of their volunteers from Texas Tech and Lubbock Christian University, as well as some of the local high schools during the school year, but when school is out for the summer and the students go home, they loose many volunteers all at once.

Right now, Lubbock Meals on Wheels desperately needs volunteers for the summer months especially. It only takes about one hour to deliver a route. You can take the same route every week or substitute as you are available. They offer a convenient one hour training session, and then you are on your way to a rewarding volunteer experience.

Lubbock Meals on Wheels is totally funded by the citizens, churches, civic clubs and businesses of Lubbock. It receives no government money and is not a United Way funded agency. Meals on Wheels provides approximately 500 meals daily to Lubbock homebound elderly or disabled residents. Recipients are encouraged to donate what they can toward the cost of their meal, but contributions are not required.

Recipients not only receive a hot meal, but they also receive the human contact from the volunteers. For some this may be the only human contact they receive all day. As a volunteer, you are the smiling face. You may be the only person who asks, “How are you doing?” You may be the only person who gives them a birthday card and a birthday cake, because you are from Lubbock Meals on Wheels.

OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Volunteers are needed on Saturday June 9th, by the Garrison Institute on Aging for Healthy Lubbock Day at Maxey Park. They need eight volunteers to help at the registration tables from 9 am to 12 pm. This is an event for the entire family. There will be an obstacle course for children, childhood immunizations, child fingerprinting, exercise demos, prizes, health screenings for all ages, lectures on nutrition, Alzheimer’s, and much, much more.

The Garrison Institute on Aging is also looking for a volunteer to work in their small library one morning a week. That person could also help with some office work and mailings.

Lubbock Hospitality House needs volunteers in a variety of areas. On Tuesdays from 11:00 to 11:30 they need help with an exercise class such as Sit & Be Fit; or on Thursdays from 11:00 to 12:00 Pretty Nails, they can use a group of three or four to help with ladies’ nails. Also, on Friday at 10:00 Men’s coffee, they need one or two men to visit and chat with a few men about men stuff. They also need someone who likes to call bingo from 3:00 to 4:00 any afternoon of the week except Sunday.

Lubbock Lake Landmark applications are available for community volunteers for the Summer Field Research Program, June 1 – August 31. This program provides an opportunity for volunteers to work side-by-side with professionals at an archaeological site that has yielded evidence of human presence spanning the past 12,000 years. Working hours during the summer season are 8 am – 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Volunteers receive an orientation session and on-the-job trailing. They may choose the days they work and select either a morning shift (8 am – 12 noon) or an afternoon shift (1 – 4:30 pm). Field excavation will take place during the month of July only. Laboratory work is available June through August.

The Area Agency on Aging is searching for volunteers to serve as ombudsmen for long-term care center residents and advocate for quality care for them. Ombudsmen represent residents and their families when a complaint or concern arises. Comprehensive training is provided by the AAA with support from the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. Nursing home clients need support through regular visits from people like you to ensure their comfort and care. Many people do not understand the value of this program until they have a loved one enter a nursing facility. The more people who go into our long term care facilities, the better all of our loved ones will be treated in the last days of their lives. This volunteer job can actually save lives.

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 Dana Bear 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!