National Volunteer Week is April 12-18. While the Friendly Home is so very grateful for the service of our dedicated volunteers every day, this week is an especially good time to say a heartfelt “Thank You!” for all that they do to enhance the lives of our Members.
What do our volunteers do? So much! Here’s just a sampling:
- Spend time visiting one-on-one with Members
- Sing, dance, garden and read
- Accompany Members on fun outings to local restaurants
- Play instruments
- Bring in their beloved pets
- Raise funds and serve on various boards and committees
- Help out with office tasks like copying, mailing and filing
- Serve at our very popular weekly cocktail hour
- Help out with a myriad of activities ranging from Bingo to baking
- Work in our Friendly Gift Shop & Café, a favorite gathering spot for Members and their families
Who are Friendly Home volunteers? They are students ranging from fourth graders to college seniors. They range in age from nine to ninety. They are loved ones of current or former Members. They are people from our neighborhood and from across town. They are young professionals and retirees. What they all have in common is a desire to help, to make a difference in the lives of older adults.
When do volunteers find the time? On Sundays, when they help bring Members to worship services in our Auditorium. After school, when they participate in our Adopt-A-Grandparent program. During the week, when they are helping Members out in the Gift Shop & Café. In the evenings, when they come to lend a hand with activities. There are volunteer opportunities to suit almost any schedule, for those who want to help out a little, a lot or somewhere in between.
Why do volunteers give of their time and talents to the Friendly Home? If you ask them, our volunteers will most likely say they get more out of volunteering than what they give. And that is what makes them so special.
Our volunteers serve from the heart. We often say “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” But while the impact our volunteers make on the Friendly Home truly is immeasurable, consider this: In 2014, Friendly Home volunteers contributed a whopping 13,773 hours of service. According to estimates by the Independent Sector, the dollar value of time spent volunteering in New York State is $26.43 per hour. That’s over $350,000 in one year alone just at the Friendly Home!
To our volunteers at the Friendly Home and to volunteers everywhere, thank you for your service!
Visit our website at https://friendlyseniorliving.org/friendly-home/volunteer to learn more about our volunteer opportunities.
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