PURPOSE:

Serving Seniors’ General Store is based on that familiar image of a small-town store that carries a broad selection of goods for the local community. What makes our General Store unique, however, is all our goods are in-kind donations and available for free to local seniors in need.

Most of our seniors live on $900 a month. After rent, food, medications, and transportation costs, little money is left over for seniors to purchase the essential items they need. That’s why our General Store is stocked with soap, razors, socks, hand sanitizer, blankets, books, and more. The purpose of this program is to help our seniors continue to live healthy and fulfilling lives, even on a tight budget.

HOW IT WORKS:

You do not need to be an experienced manager! You just need to have a passion for order and organization.
Weekly, Serving Seniors receives a variety of in-kind donations. They often arrive in-bulk and unsorted. Serving Seniors’ maintains 3 storage areas at our downtown Wellness Center and mini-storage areas at our housing sites. We strive to keep our areas organized so when our team members identify a senior in need, they can swiftly locate and distribute the needed item(s). But, we need help to do this successfully!

HOW YOU CAN HELP (COVID-VERSION):

• Select one, regularly scheduled day + time per week to sort + organize in-kind donations in our 2 main storage areas at the Gary + Mary West Senior Wellness Center
• Wear a mask + gloves during your service
• Identify + annotate any items that are running low
• Prepare refills for our offsite mini-stores as needed

REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION:

• Enjoys bringing order to chaos
• Empowered to present new ideas but equally comfortable with following directions
• Must be dependable and timely, self-directed, willing to take initiative, and detail-oriented
• Courteous and personable when dealing with clients, other volunteers, and staff
• Must be 18+ or older

TRAINING + SUPERVISION

• Complete Serving Seniors’ volunteer application process + tour of the Wellness Center
•  Receive weekly direction from the Volunteer & Activities Coordinator
• 1-2 hours per week commitment

INTERESTED? NEXT STEPS:
Please reach out to Christina Selder, Director of Community Engagement & Government Relations, to discuss further christina.selder@servingseniors.org or (619) 487-0747.

PROGRAM PURPOSE:

To reduce social isolation by regularly connecting seniors to volunteers for companionship, conversation, and self-care needs.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Clients reach out to Serving Seniors’ Health + Social Services Team to enroll
2. Once enrolled, Serving Seniors’ Volunteer Coordinator matches clients with a volunteer based on the timeslot each have selected (8am-10am, 1pm-3pm, or 5pm-7pm).  Once matched, clients + volunteers may work out timing that works for them if an alternative works best.
3. Volunteers will receive (via email) information on the client and a spreadsheet to log their hours + call information.
4. Volunteers will call clients 3 times per week (M, W, F) during the scheduled timeslot.
5. Calls can last anywhere from 10 – 40 minutes or more.  It’s up to you.
6. Volunteers are asked to document call information to inform the program + to help volunteers remember important information about their senior (i.e. preferences, sensitivities).
7. Volunteers will refer any needs identified during the call to Serving Seniors’ Health + Social Services Team via email (unless the need is identified as a “Red Flag Issue” as identified in training materials).

TRAINING + SUPERVISION

• Complete Serving Seniors’ volunteer application process
• Review the Connections Program training materials
• Coordinate any questions or concerns with Elle Leidy, Volunteer + Activities Coordinator
• 3 month initial commitment
• For folks under 18 years of age, parental supervision during calls is required

INTERESTED?  NEXT STEPS:  

Please reach out to Elle Leidy, Volunteer + Activities Coordinator, to discuss further christina.selder@servingseniors.org or (619) 487-0747.

Looking for a safe group activity to get you and your friends out of the house? Volunteer with Serving Seniors, by helping assemble meal packages for food-insecure seniors onsite at our Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center. Hours are flexible any time from 9am – 4pm, 7-days a week.

We have strict safety protocols in place to keep you and the at-risk seniors we serve safe: Volunteers will wear masks, undergo a temperature screening upon arrival, and have no direct contact with senior clients. Volunteers must be 18 or older and able to commit to a minimum of 2 hours.

Please contact Christina Selder at christina.selder@servingseniors.org or (619)487-0747 to sign-up and get more information!

PURPOSE:
Art is a sincere form of self-expression and, when shared, it has the power to build better connections to oneself and to others. The purpose of this program is to enhance the connection between our seniors and the community through art exhibits.

HOW IT WORKS:
You do not need to be an artist! You just need to be inspired to make something that communicates a thoughtful message to our seniors.
First, your group will need to select a theme for your exhibit. For example, everyone will draw images from nature or everyone will draw a car; however, each of you will create your own masterpiece. Everyone should agree on a date that all art pieces will be completed. Then, one or more people from your group will collect the art pieces and deliver them to Serving Seniors (at a pre-arranged time and location).

The Serving Seniors team will display your group’s work in a highly trafficked area of our housing sites (i.e. near the elevators, in the lobby, etc.). We will also promote your group’s work by creating a poster to accompany the exhibit. The poster will introduce your group to the seniors, the purpose of the project, and describe your chosen theme. Our team may choose to feature your exhibit at all of our housing sites. When the traveling exhibit is complete, we will contact your group’s representative to collect the art work.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• A group of at least 5
• A canvas or foam-backed poster board to feature your art (3D art is not an option at this time)
• A display easel (unless we have some on-hand, please ask us)
• A designated delivery date
• A designated pick up date

INTERESTED? NEXT STEPS:
Please reach out to Christina Selder, Director of Community Engagement & Government Relations, to discuss your interest and ideas further at christina.selder@servingseniors.org or (619) 487-0747.

Looking for a safe group activity to get you and your friends out of the house? Volunteer with Serving Seniors, by helping assemble meal packages for food-insecure seniors onsite at our Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center. Hours are flexible any time from 9am – 4pm, 7-days a week.

We have strict safety protocols in place to keep you and the at-risk seniors we serve safe: Volunteers will wear masks, undergo a temperature screening upon arrival, and have no direct contact with senior clients. Volunteers must be 18 or older and able to commit to a minimum of 2 hours.

Please email Christina Selder at christina.selder@servingseniors.org or (619)487-0747 to sign-up and get more information!

GET INSPIRED!

COVID-19 has changed the way volunteers can serve our seniors.  We have created this document to 
help you brainstorm alternative ways to show our seniors you care.  Please read through and get 
inspired!

Before initiating any activity, please reach out to Christina Selder, Director of Community 
Engagement and Government Relations, at Christina.selder@servingseniors.org or (619) 487-0747 so 
she can help you get setup for success and can review with you the safety protocols we have in 
place to ensure the health of your group and our seniors.  Thank you!

OCTOBER 2020

DAY

10/3/20                  SATURDAY     NATIONAL POETRY DAY

10/4/20                  SUNDAY          WORLD ANIMAL DAY
10/5/20                  MONDAY          NATIONAL DO SOMETHING NICE

10/10/20                SUNDAY           NATIONAL HUG A DRUMMER DAY

IDEAS TO EXPLORE

• Write or print out poems for distribution to our seniors.
• Donate a bouquet of fresh flowers to display in the lobbies of our housing sites or on the distribution table at our Wellness Center.
• Make art (canvas, posters, cutouts) we can hang at our sites for seniors to enjoy.
• Donate decorations for display at our housing sites + Wellness Center.
• Host a book drive or donate current bestsellers.

NOVEMBER 2020

DAY
11/1/20                  SUNDAY             NATIONAL BRUSH DAY
11/2/20                  MONDAY            DAY OF THE DEAD

11/3/20                                               VOTING DAY
11/8/20                  SUNDAY               STEAM DAY
11/9/20                  MONDAY              GO TO AN ART MUSEUM DAY

11/11/20                WEDNESDAY      VETERAN’S DAY
11/13/20                FRIDAY                NATIONAL HUG A MUSICIAN DAY/WORLD KINDESS DAY
11/15/20                SUNDAY              NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY
11/21/20                SATURDAY          WORLD TELEVISION DAY
11/22/20                SUNDAY               GO FOR A RIDE DAY
11/26/20                THURSDAY          THANKSGIVING DAY
11/30/20                MONDAY              NATIONAL MASON JAR DAY WEEK

IDEAS TO EXPLORE

• Donate new hairbrushes.
• Make Day of the Dead art for us to display at our sites.
• Create art we can display museum style at our housing sites.
• Donate bus/trolley passes.

DECEMBER 2020

DAY
12/3/20                  TUESDAY             GIVING TUESDAY
12/4/20                  FRIDAY                 NATIONAL COOKIE DAY
12/5/20                  SATURDAY           INTERNATIONAL NINJA DAY
12/7/20                  MONDAY               NATIONAL LETTER WRITING
12/10                     THURSDAY           HANUKKAH BEGINS
12/12                     SATURDAY           GINGERBREAD HOUSE DAY
12/13                      SUNDAY              NATIONAL VIOLIN DAY
12/20                      SUNDAY              NATIONAL UGLY SWEATER DAY
12/21                      MONDAY             NATIONAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE DAY

12/24                      THURSDAY          CHRISTMAS EVE
12/25                      FRIDAY                CHRISTMAS

12/26                      SATURDAY           KWANZA
12/28                      MONDAY              NATIONAL CALL A FRIEND DAY

12/31                      THURSDAY          NEW YEAR’S EVE WEEK
12/1 – 12/7                                          NATIONAL HANDWASHING AWARENESS WEEK

IDEAS TO EXPLORE

• Write letters to our seniors.
• Donate pretty sweaters.
• Donate crossword or activity books.  Make copies of crossword puzzles on sturdy paper for 
• distribution.
• Host a blanket, poncho, or umbrella drive.
• Sign up for our Connections Program.
• Donate handwashing soap or new towels.