Loni listened empathetically while Mary shared her feelings of grief over recently losing her husband. The two women, both in their late sixties, had been meeting regularly since shortly after Loni had started her position as a volunteer counselor with Peninsula Family Services. She looked forward to her ongoing talks with Mary each week, and seeing her progress as she navigated the grieving process. For the first time since retiring as a college professor in the Bay Area, Loni was fulfilled by her work : she felt proud to be able to offer comfort and guidance to her clients by lending an empathetic ear and some compassionate encouragement.
T here are many older adults in the San Francisco Peninsula looking for the chance to fill their days by doing something valuable for their community or their peers. And, happily, there are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities ready for them to explore. Not only does the Peninsula boast a range of available volunteer roles, they also feature many positions that specifically cater toward older adults. For example, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program RSVP provides an in-depth selection of local volunteer jobs aimed at older adults who want to work with people similar to their age.
If your aging loved one is based in the Peninsula, this is a great place to search for volunteer positions that will connect them with other older adults: some of the roles include peer counseling, administration, and delivering hot meals.
And the website Peninsula Volunteers is another useful place to check if your loved one is looking for a more diverse range of options, like working with animals or tutoring children.
And while the Humane Society in San Mateo does have paid employees, they rely heavily on volunteers to run its numerous services. There are a wide variety of positions , including manning the phones, assisting staff members with tasks, and caring for the animals. The nonprofit organization offers flexibility in scheduling, enabling volunteers to work as little as a few hours per week, or as many as three full days.
