Connect in a meaningful way;
become a Friends of Seniors volunteer.
Or call 907-500-3934 or email Jessica.Kinville@ccsjuneau.org
Who are Friends of Seniors volunteers?
Volunteers are 18 years or older and as diverse as our community of Juneau. They’re parents and independent business owners, college students and retirees. We have veterans, DIYers and grandparent volunteers. And most of our volunteers are seniors themselves.
Many of our volunteers are new to volunteering while others volunteer in multiple organizations around Juneau.
In alignment with our funding source, volunteers must be 18 years or older.
What’s required to be a volunteer?
Volunteer hours vary greatly from a couple of moments a month, perhaps taking garbage to the curb, to several hours a week, such as cooking weekly with a senior. There are no minimum expected hours; we’re grateful for any level of commitment volunteers are open to providing.
To become a Friends of Seniors volunteer:
What do volunteers do?
Simply said, volunteers partner with our senior participants to reinforce their independence. We instill a sense of mutuality, an alleviation of the stigma of needing support, creating a fluidity between helping and being helped. (Return to Friends of Seniors information page for full service list.)
Our volunteers:
HOW IS SAFETY ADDRESSED DURING COVID?
We recognize the need, now more than ever, to address both the physical and mental risks of our senior population. Our volunteers fill gaps in services that could jeopardize older adults’ independence and their mental and physical safety.
To ensure the safety of both our volunteers and seniors, volunteers receive training on infection control and, for in-home visits, follow strict protocol. Volunteers wear surgical masks while in the home and use sanitizing wipes and gloves per protocol. Participants are also given surgical masks and instructed to wear while the volunteer is present.
Since many of our volunteers are of an at-risk age, not all feel comfortable doing home visits. In these cases, volunteers can provide services outside the home including dog walking, check-in calls, shoveling snow, lawn maintenance, grocery shopping, etc.
Volunteers are 18 years or older and as diverse as our community of Juneau. They’re parents and independent business owners, college students and retirees. We have veterans, DIYers and grandparent volunteers. And most of our volunteers are seniors themselves.
Many of our volunteers are new to volunteering while others volunteer in multiple organizations around Juneau.
In alignment with our funding source, volunteers must be 18 years or older.
What’s required to be a volunteer?
Volunteer hours vary greatly from a couple of moments a month, perhaps taking garbage to the curb, to several hours a week, such as cooking weekly with a senior. There are no minimum expected hours; we’re grateful for any level of commitment volunteers are open to providing.
To become a Friends of Seniors volunteer:
- Click here to apply - you’ll complete an application
- We’ll schedule a brief interview to get to know each other
- We’ll conduct a background check
- Provide CPR training
- Test for Tuberculosis
- Our volunteers receive an initial orientation and additional training periodically throughout the year. The number of hours required differs based on the services volunteers are interested in providing.
What do volunteers do?
Simply said, volunteers partner with our senior participants to reinforce their independence. We instill a sense of mutuality, an alleviation of the stigma of needing support, creating a fluidity between helping and being helped. (Return to Friends of Seniors information page for full service list.)
Our volunteers:
- visit seniors for companionship and camaraderie
- take notes during medical appointments.
- visit during the mornings to ensure a safe, wake-up or in the evenings before bed
- hunt or fish for our elders or serve as a companion for hunting and fishing trips
- cook meals or grocery shop
- deliver and setup medical equipment
- provide light housekeeping, shovel snow, or mow the lawn
- instruct seniors in video calling distant family or for medical appointments
- schlep wood pellets to the stove or chop wood
- walk dogs
- and much, much more…
HOW IS SAFETY ADDRESSED DURING COVID?
We recognize the need, now more than ever, to address both the physical and mental risks of our senior population. Our volunteers fill gaps in services that could jeopardize older adults’ independence and their mental and physical safety.
To ensure the safety of both our volunteers and seniors, volunteers receive training on infection control and, for in-home visits, follow strict protocol. Volunteers wear surgical masks while in the home and use sanitizing wipes and gloves per protocol. Participants are also given surgical masks and instructed to wear while the volunteer is present.
Since many of our volunteers are of an at-risk age, not all feel comfortable doing home visits. In these cases, volunteers can provide services outside the home including dog walking, check-in calls, shoveling snow, lawn maintenance, grocery shopping, etc.