How to Volunteer as Senior Angel and Support Senior Citizens

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By elyria
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Volunteer as Senior Angel and Support Senior Citizens

Senior Angels is a program that matches an “angel” volunteer with a senior citizen in order to bring encouragement and brighten the live of an elderly person. The goal of an “angel” volunteer is to show senior citizens that someone cares about them, loves them, and has time to be their friend and ease the loneliness that many senior citizens experience. There are many people across the country that live in various senior centers, assisted living facilities and retirement homes who are lonely and feel that they are forgotten. When you join Senior Angel volunteer program, you need to regularly communicate with one senior citizen by sending them letters, cards, holiday greetings, and perhaps a small gift for their birthday or on any other day “just because” to make them smile. Learn how to join Senior Angel volunteer program and make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Big heart
Desire to make a difference
Caring attitude

Step 1

Go to Chemo Angels website at chemoangels.net and click on Senior Angels tab located on the left hand side navigation menu.
Step 2

Carefully review the website to familiarize yourself with the program requirements and ensure that you are ready for a serious commitment and dedication. All volunteers must be 25 or older.
Step 3

Fill out an online Senior Angel Application Form where you need to indicate your contact information, introduce yourself, include your hobbies and interests (the program will try to match you to someone with similar interests), and provide a short statement why you would like to become a senior angel volunteer.
Step 4

Once you are approved to be a senior angel volunteer, you will receive a welcome email notifying you that organization is looking for a senior citizen to “match” with you. The organization puts a lot of thought and consideration into matching senior citizen with the right angel. Once the match is found, you will recieve your senior citizen’s name, contact information, and a list of their interests/hobbies.
Step 5

Begin writing and sending letters/cards/greetings to your assigned senior citizen. Feel free to tell about yourself, your interests, hobbies, and your daily life, but always remember to share only the good and positive! Do not share anything negative and do not discuss your own troubles, problems, or issues. Keep it all smiles and happy!
Step 6

Remember that senior citizens who join the program are under no obligation to write back to you. You might never hear anything directly from your assigned senior citizen but the organization will notify you of any updates and will keep you in formed. Always remember that lack of responses directly from your assigned senior citizen is no indication of the impact you are having on your senior citizen’s life!
Step 7

Remember to send at least one letter or postcard per week. This is all it takes to reach out to an isolated and lonely person and show them that someone cares. You are making such a huge difference in someone’s life!