Boomers, your volunteer spirit is needed
Devin Heilman Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 4 months AGO
It's going to be a while before Maxine Nelson is ready to hang up her apron and call it quits.
The 89-year-old volunteer logged more than 820 hours at the Post Falls Food Bank last year, and she's still going strong.
"For one thing, I’m in an apartment and I don’t have anything else to do,” she said Tuesday after sorting and marking produce for the food bank's marketplace. "This keeps me going."
Nelson came to the food bank after her husband died nearly 11 years ago.
"I was alone," she said. "I started and saw so much need for it and they just became my second family."
Anna Tofflemire, 82, was right behind Nelson with nearly 700 volunteer hours in 2016. She came to the food bank in a similar way — after her husband and son died, she was all alone.
“I’ve got plenty of things to do at home, but I just enjoy coming,” Tofflemire said. “I enjoy socializing with the people. Had I stayed home, I’d have missed out on a lot. If I wasn’t coming here I think I’d be pretty lonely."
Nelson and Tofflemire are two senior volunteers who tirelessly contribute their time for the greater good. They're part of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program through the Area Agency on Aging, which finds important roles for seniors to fill in nonprofits and causes that need them.
But even with loyal and committed workers like Nelson and Tofflemire, the need for volunteers is at a critical point, especially as members of their generation age and eventually come to the end of their volunteer careers.
In the storeroom of Hospice Thrift Shop in Coeur d'Alene, donations of Christmas decorations sit untouched after one of their senior volunteers passed away in February.
"This looks exactly the same as it did last week," said Hospice Thrift volunteer Dorothy Clark, 70. "We need somebody who’d be regular and show up, and take it seriously."
“It is a big loss because they all have their niches, the things that they do," said Hospice Thrift lead volunteer Gladys Cody, 78. "Somebody has to fill that in and we lost them and they weren’t able to train somebody."
As the "Silver Tsunami" of Baby Boomers rises, so does the need for retirees to pick up the torch of their elders and continue the legacy of volunteerism.
"We'd be lost without our volunteers," said Post Falls Food Bank operations and volunteer coordinator Willi Buerge. "Unless we get more volunteers like them, I don't know how we'll keep going."
RSVP has a need and a place for a wide variety of retired and senior volunteers — court visitors who can assist with those who need court-appointed guardians, adult education tutors, companions for homebound seniors, Meals on Wheels, food banks, animal shelters, elementary school tutors, thrift store workers, the Boys and Girls Club and more.
Volunteers can work as little or as much as they want.
"As little as one hour per week can make a very big difference," said RSVP Director Bob Small. "It's great to be blessed, but it's even better to bless others."
Many senior volunteers see it as therapy that gets them out of the house for a few active hours while combating isolation. It's also a way to make friends and fill voids left by loved ones who have passed, and it's a way to give back to the community.
“Come on down and have fun," said Hospice Thrift volunteer Lenny Bennett, 67. "Why would you sit at home and eat and watch soaps when you could be here? We’re a fun group. And why not? I need some younger friends.”
For information or to volunteer, contact Small at 667-3179 ext. 235 or email bsmall@aaani.org.
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