topic Re: Would like to volunteer, but - in Community Chat

Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:01:27 GMT

I'm retired a little over a year. During the past year and a few months I've had some health issues that have meant I couldn't be out and about as much as anticipated. Some of those issues will soon be over and some I'll be basically stuck with forever and will have good days and bad days.

I would like to volunteer, but nearly all of the things I would really enjoy doing or feel happy doing involve standing, walking, bending and lifting, and I can only do any one of those things maybe half an hour without enough pain that I would not be having a good time any more.

Most animal shelter work involves hands and knees - can't do that. Being a docent involves standing. The food bank wants people who can load boxes, give them out, and do a certain amount of manual labor like set-up and tear-down.

Desk/phone work, you say? What I did for almost 50 years before I retired. It might be helpful, but not so rewarding - and some places think you just want "easy."

I think I might be good at Literacy tutoring and I would enjoy that, but it's often in the evenings/after dark so not ideal in that. We're having a huge VA facility open in late summer. I'm sure I could do something there, but not sure what opportunities they'll have - and again, not nuts about working in an environment I just retired from.

Thoughts? Am I missing something - not thinking of a good volunteer opportunity I could do sitting? Would rather have face-to-face interaction; sick to death of phones - but that might be all there is, I don't know.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Oznell — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:07:15 GMT

Moonchilde, you are knowledgeable about many things-- I'm just trying to brainstorm, but I wonder if there is some sort of adult education course you could develop/conduct, maybe through your public library or a community college?

I'm thinking of that convo we had about British actors, which suggested to me, maybe some sort of film appreciation course or something?

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Irshgrl31201 — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:08:38 GMT

I was going to mention desk work like filing, making phone calls, that type of thing but it sounds like after a long career of doing that you are burned out. That is understandable. Give me some time to think. I will come back tomorrow if I can think of something.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Oznell — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:09:56 GMT

I expect you'd also be very good at a crisis line, helping people cope and making referrals for them, but we are back to phones, which you're not crazy about...

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

scuba318 — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:09:57 GMT

Assisted living communities are often looking for volunteers to visit with residents - assist with various easy craft projects, play cards, read books - and just be a companion. Very rewarding. Best of luck to you.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Irshgrl31201 — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:11:41 GMT

I also think it is really great that you so interested and still trying to find something, ANYTHING you can do to give back despite having limitations. Many would use that as an excuse and be done with it.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Irshgrl31201 — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:12:42 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
I expect you'd also be very good at a crisis line, helping people cope and making referrals for them, but we are back to phones, which you're not crazy about...

I agree. I think she would be great at that.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

CatLoverDogsToo — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:15:56 GMT

I don't know if this would interest you, but Hospice is always looking for volunteers to sit with patients who have no family. Wounded Warriors also looks for people that can assist veterans in various things, such as shopping or assisting them with daily activities. Doing activities with elderly nursing home patients is also an option. Summer reading programs for children at the local libraries always need volunteers, and those activities are during the day. If the animal shelter has a cat room, sitting with the cats and socializing them is a lot of fun, unless you have an allergy to cats. I foster animals for the shelter and I enjoy that. People going for their G.E.D. usually need some assistance, contact your local school superintendent office and see if that is a possibility if that interests you. (Granted all of these programs are available where I live, and I am making the assumption that some of them may be available where you are.) Hopefully you can find something that you like.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

feline groovy — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:19:39 GMT

You could be a baby soother/cuddler in a hospital for wee ones in great need.

Check out VolunteerMatch.org and other websites for opportunities that match your passions and skills.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

september — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:23:30 GMT

My friend's mom has some physical limitations. She's a volunteer at the library and at a local charity resale shop. She enjoys both jobs, and I think she can take just a 4 hour shift at each/week.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:26:13 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
Moonchilde, you are knowledgeable about many things-- I'm just trying to brainstorm, but I wonder if there is some sort of adult education course you could develop/conduct, maybe through your public library or a community college?

I'm thinking of that convo we had about British actors, which suggested to me, maybe some sort of film appreciation course or something?

Thank you, @Oznell :-)

I had actually thought about a computer class for seniors or helping seniors online, or doing benefits legwork for Medicare/Medicaid, etc. I contacted our largest local group, Alliance on Aging, and was informed that they didn't need (or maybe want?) volunteers for that sort of thing, they had paid credentialed employees who did that. Who knew? I don't know what's involved in getting certified, but I do plan to contact them again. I'd like to get a feeling of what the local area needs/wants.

I'm at a disadvantage in that I don't speak fluent Spanish - not enough to seriously help someone.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:28:35 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
I expect you'd also be very good at a crisis line, helping people cope and making referrals for them, but we are back to phones, which you're not crazy about...

I probably could be, but not sure how crisis-y I'd want to get involved in. Helping abused women/children would appeal.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:32:02 GMT

@scuba318 wrote:
Assisted living communities are often looking for volunteers to visit with residents - assist with various easy craft projects, play cards, read books - and just be a companion. Very rewarding. Best of luck to you.

@scuba318, I think it would depend, for me. I'm soooo not hand crafty (if you only knew) ;-)

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:34:39 GMT

@Irshgrl31201 wrote:
@Oznell wrote:
I expect you'd also be very good at a crisis line, helping people cope and making referrals for them, but we are back to phones, which you're not crazy about...
I agree. I think she would be great at that.

Aww, thanks, guys :-)

I suppose I could do phone work up to a point, to do a Good Thing for someone. I mean, I'm capable. But when I retired I did say I'd be thrilled to never answer a phone again ever 👹

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:40:02 GMT

@CatLoverDogsToo, some good suggestions - thanks.

Would LOVE to work with kitties at the animal shelter, but can't get up and down from the floor or on my knees, so don't expect anyone would want to accommodate that. But I could happily spend my days playing with felines :-D

The summer reading and literacy, and Veterans/Wounded Warriors is something I have thought of, I just don't know what, exactly. As long as the GED tutoring isn't Math!

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:42:46 GMT

@september wrote:
My friend's mom has some physical limitations. She's a volunteer at the library and at a local charity resale shop. She enjoys both jobs, and I think she can take just a 4 hour shift at each/week.

Another vote for the library - and it's a good idea, thanks.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Moonchilde — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:44:38 GMT

@feline groovy wrote:
You could be a baby soother/cuddler in a hospital for wee ones in great need.

Check out VolunteerMatch.org and other websites for opportunities that match your passions and skills.

Ahhh, @feline groovy, I'm not a baby person, but that is a super volunteer opportunity for people who are. But the website I will definitely check out!

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

pitdakota — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:46:13 GMT

@Moonchilde, I don't know if you live close to a hospital that has a nursery or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NiCU) or if you are interested...but many hospitals have "cuddle" programs where volunteers are used to hold and cuddle babies in the hospital. Many of those wee ones are in the NICU for long periods of time and Mom or family can't be there all the time, so they use volunteers to rock and cuddle babies. There are all kinds of situations in which they need volunteers to rock & cuddle the babies.

This would be a volunteer activity that once you got to the hospital and up in the unit, you would be sitting in a rocking chair. Just thought I would toss that out just in case.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Lapdog — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:47:16 GMT

@Moonchilde We have a Sr. Center here where you can volunteer to take folks that can't drive to their Dr. appts etc. Would that work?

I am pretty sure you can visit nursing homes and talk to, read to, play games with folks.

Personally, I can drive but, I need someone to meet me and push me into the doctor appts I have.

My contacts are running thin! I have called all kinds of places, even churches, with no luck.

Re: Would like to volunteer, but -

Irshgrl31201 — Thu, 18 May 2017 03:52:55 GMT

@Moonchilde wrote:
@Irshgrl31201 wrote:
@Oznell wrote:
I expect you'd also be very good at a crisis line, helping people cope and making referrals for them, but we are back to phones, which you're not crazy about...
I agree. I think she would be great at that.

Aww, thanks, guys :-)

I suppose I could do phone work up to a point, to do a Good Thing for someone. I mean, I'm capable. But when I retired I did say I'd be thrilled to never answer a phone again ever 👹

Not to take away from the suggestion of you working on some sort of crisis line becuase I DO think you would be GREAT at that but every time I think about crisis counselors I always think about Ted Bundy being a rape crisis counselor. It alway make me shake my head about how crazy that is!