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"There's a natural link between the young and the old," says Helen Griffin, activities director, Rogerson Communities Adult Day Center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. "It's we in the middle who've lost that link. We're too focused on our jobs, our bank accounts, our daily schedules. Plus, we tend to see what old people can't do. Kids see what they can do. Old folks and young people are happy to live in the present moment. And being around young people helps old people recreate memories."
Interested in volunteering with older people? Contact local retirement communities or nursing homes and ask to speak to the activities director, the director of recreation therapy, or the volunteer coordinator. Work opportunities include: office work; setting up the dining room; pushing wheelchairs; playing checkers, cards, and puzzles; talking and listening -- especially with blind people; delivering mail; reading it for people with vision problems; helping write letters; reading aloud in general; cooking projects, art projects, and sing-alongs.
More on: Volunteering
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