Retired and Senior Volunteer Program – Aug. 2015
Volunteering with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is easy. Complete our enrollment form so we can match your interests and skills to available opportunities. We’ll assist in finding something you’ll enjoy and add your volunteer hours to the total we send to our federal sponsors to show how much seniors help their local communities. Adams/E. Arapahoe RSVP finds volunteering for those 55 and up in Adams County and also Arapahoe County east of I-25. Call Tom Rapp 303-426-4408 or trapp@seniorhub.org. Sponsors: Corporation for National and Community Service and The Senior Hub, Inc.
Community Garden/Food Bank Project: We have more than 20 community gardens in southwestern Adams County including Brighton, Commerce City, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster and unincorporated southwest Adams County. You grow vegetables for yourself while helping us donate to local food banks. In 2014 we donated 51,000 servings or about 6.5 tons. You can also help by donating produce from your own garden. With the recent rains, many gardens need much help removing weeds and preparing for this year’s harvest. Just a couple of volunteer hours a week can make a huge difference. Contact Tom about a garden near you. Please help!
Help in elementary schools this upcoming school year in either our general elementary program, or in our Schools Where All Thrive Tutor/Mentor Program (SWAT) which works with 2nd and 3rd grade students behind in their reading skills. The two programs serve all Adams County Schools districts, Aurora and the eastern plains schools. Call Ron Ausmus 303-426-4408 or rausmus@seniorhub.org about SWAT and upcoming training sessions to prepare for the next school year, or Tom Rapp 303-426-4408 or trapp@seniorhub.org to find out about the general elementary education program.
Military Veterans Health and Help Squads: A program with and for (55 or older) military vets and/or their spouses. Squads of vets/vet spouses visit with squad members by phone, or meet to help with activities, share meals or attend events. Some are helping at the Colorado Veterans Home. Both male and female squads are open. Tell your vet friends so they can join with you. We have squads from Aurora/Centennial to Northglenn/Thornton/Westminster/Brighton and Commerce City. We’re also putting squads together in the eastern I-70 towns from Watkins to Deer Trail, so this is not just a city-based program. It’s fun, call Tom today!
Disaster Preparedness Team: We need more locations to present vital information about preparing in advance for natural or other disasters. We also need additional team members to help with these disaster preparedness presentations. Call RSVP.
Other needs: Thornton Food Bank needs someone with a pickup truck to bring donations from Thornton area stores to the food bank twice a week. Some lifting is required. Call Tom for more information.
In-home care: Volunteers provide grocery shopping, run errands, do light housekeeping, offer business help or simply friendly visits and telephone reassurance to those who are homebound. Meals on Wheels: Senior Hub Meals on Wheels (MOW), Aurora MOW and Brighton MOW are short on drivers meaning some folks may not benefit from this vital meal delivery program.
Adult Day Care: Senior Hub Adult Day service in Northglenn needs helpers at mealtimes and to help with activities during the day.
Additional needs: Recycling event helpers; helping at food banks; serving congregate meals; serving in hospitals or senior centers; serving on boards and committees, and also miscellaneous short-term volunteer opportunities. Call RSVP for information about the above opportunities and others not listed here.
Yarn Needed: 4-ply, non-wool yarn for our volunteers who make lap robes for nursing homes.
