Judy Garrett, 75, has been volunteering to deliver VNA Meals on Wheels for more than eight years. “It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling that you get,” says Garrett, who drives the same route twice a month with her partner, Caren Cool, 77. “We get to see the patrons, and they are so appreciative and loving and caring that you are there. Sometimes we are the only people they see, and it’s the only hot meal they get that day.”
These interactions benefit Garrett and Cool as well as Meals on Wheels and its clients. “There are a lot of studies that show that individuals who volunteer live longer and healthier lives,” says Gretchen Feinhals, director of RSVP, an AmeriCorps program managed by The Senior Source that connects people over 55 with volunteer opportunities at various nonprofits. “Their stress and blood pressure levels decrease, and they have an overall better sense of well-being and are happier.”
Volunteering provides a sense of purpose, teaches valuable skills, and nurtures new and existing social relationships, according to Mayo Clinic Health Systems. Physical and mental health benefits accrue with “considerable volunteering,” which is defined as helping for at least 40 hours a year or at two or more nonprofits, based on a compilation of research by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal organization that operates as AmeriCorps.
But volunteering isn’t just a feel-good hobby — it also plays a vital role in Dallas-Fort Worth. “There are so many different needs in the community, and nonprofit organizations are really struggling,” Feinhals observes. “They rely heavily on volunteers to help them increase the number of clients they can serve and to serve them better.”
As the Dallas coordinator for AmeriCorps’ senior volunteer programs, The Senior Source operates RSVP plus Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions. “Our goal is to make it as easy and convenient as possible to fit each individual’s interests and schedules [to volunteer roles],” Feinhals says.
RSVP channels people into a wide variety of posts, including helping at food pantries and parks, visiting nursing home residents and teaching how to spot Medicare fraud. “The majority of our volunteer positions don’t require any specific skills,” Feinhals points out.
The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs require volunteers to pass a criminal background check, attend preservice training and contribute at least 15 hours a week. They pay a stipend of $4 an hour to participants whose incomes are at or below 200% of the federal poverty threshold. The stipend is not classified as income and doesn’t affect other benefits.
Foster Grandparents provide one-on-one mentoring to children to help improve their education. They spend time with kids in child care centers and elementary schools. Senior Companions visit frail, elderly adults — often forming friendships — and give family caregivers much-needed breaks. “This helps older adults stay in their homes for a longer period of time and provides respite to caregivers to get out or maybe go to their own doctor appointments,” Feinhals explains.
Last year, The Senior Source orchestrated more than 3,000 volunteers, including those who served The Senior Source. In addition to benefiting community organizations and their own well-being, volunteers can earn valuable perks. Garrett and Cool, for instance, have seen dozens of live theater performances for free by ushering at Theatre Three, Uptown Players and WaterTower Theatre. “If you’re on a fixed income, that’s important since theater has become so expensive,” Garrett says. “Every theater is looking for help. I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”
Finding the perfect match
There are multiple ways to connect with myriad nonprofits that can use extra hands. Many agencies have volunteer coordinators, so it’s as simple as reaching out to a group whose work you admire and want to support.
Consider the American Red Cross, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Dallas Historical Society, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Public Library, Dallas Sports Commission, Dallas Zoo, Equest, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, SPCA of Texas, Trinity River Audubon Center or pretty much any hospital, school district, church, food pantry, and human or animal welfare organization.
There are also agencies like The Senior Source (theseniorsource.org) that match volunteers with community needs. Dallas-based VolunteerNow is one of the largest such groups in the nation, mobilizing 300,000-plus volunteers annually in North Texas. See its broad range of options at volnow.org.
Likewise, VolunteerMatch lists volunteer needs by topics and causes, such as Advocacy & Human Rights and Computers & Technology, at volunteermatch.org. AARP’s website, aarp.org, enables users to search nationwide for virtual as well as in-person volunteer jobs.
Texas Senior Corps Association (texasseniorcorps.org) provides contacts for senior volunteering opportunities throughout the state, including in Fort Worth and Sherman/Texoma.