What we really need is something to refocus or reenergize us from time to time. Well, I got reenergized last week, and it was awesome. I spent a week with a group of seniors who were being trained to become Senior Companion volunteers. In the first hour of the first day of training, I knew it was going to be a great week.
In case you didn’t know, Senior Companions are volunteers who visit isolated or lonely seniors in their homes. Sometimes the volunteers take them to appointments or grocery shopping. Most days they provide simple, beautiful companionship. Senior Companions also provide some respite to exhausted caregivers, through just being present with their loved one for a while. It is truly a lifeline to the clients we serve.
This group could not have been more diverse. Five strangers coming together with hearts already linked, as they were all there because they wanted to serve others.
The volunteers ranged in age from 58 to 84. If you had seen them, you would not have been able to come close to guessing their ages. Most of them have more energy and stamina than I do!
Some of the comments we heard throughout the week included, “I feel so good to be helping others”; “I am starting a new chapter in my life”; “This new adventure is going to be great”; “I feel renewed again from being inside all the time from the pandemic”; “Making a change in someone’s life put a smile on my face”; “Wow, I learned how to use a tablet!” and, “I have made new friends”.
At the end of the last day, we take pictures, have a little fun, and give out certificates. It was so refreshing for me to see and feel the excitement they were feeling when they received their certificate of completion to become Senor Companions within their community.
In a few weeks we will hold a week-long training for new, and much needed, Foster Grandparent volunteers. Foster Grandparents are matched with children in traditional classrooms, and they get to work one-on-one with these students to help improve their skills.
These classroom Grandmas and Grandpas share joy, love and pride with their students, helping to boost their confidence and even help with their social skills. They also provide comfort to kids who just need a soft place to land some days.
The students who get matched with a Foster Grandparent get extra help with math, geography and other subjects, but the primary focus is to help improve their students’ literacy skills.
I have worked with these programs for a very long time, and experience tells me that when the new Foster Grandparent trainees arrive for their week of training, I’ll be reminded yet again how kind, compassionate and generous they are. Their spirit of giving is evidenced in all they do, and I am privileged that I get to work with them.
To all of our volunteers, from the fresh new faces to the volunteers that have been serving for years, we give you a hale and hardy “Thank you!” You are truly a gift to our programs and to your communities.
As for me – I got out of my rut! And it was all because of you!