Giving Tuesday Impact Series: Volunteers bring hope to seniors

"[I have an] increased knowledge that there are still good people in the world. People that came to my home were friendly and professional."

Each year, nearly 500 H.O.M.E. volunteers give seniors comfort and joy. You can give hope to seniors today.

Passionate volunteers serve our senior clients throughout the year. H.O.M.E. welcomes volunteers to do things such as painting, weatherizing houses, or host activities in our residences.

Our volunteers impact seniors through the tangible things they give like sealed windows, painted walls, or food. But they also bring more intangible things like comfort, joy, and hope.

Comfort

What's more comforting than a meal shared, or a warm, cozy home? Not much that we can think of.

And that's just what our volunteers give.

Guest Chefs in Good Life Senior Residences not only prepare meals, but also sit down to eat family style with residents.

In the summer, volunteers freshen interior walls with coats of paint that make seniors' homes more inviting to guests. And in the fall and winter, volunteer groups weatherize homes of people like Ms. Hendrix to reduce drafts in living rooms and bedrooms. 

"This made getting through the winter season a lot warmer."

Joy

Social isolation is often a problem that seniors struggle with. A friendly face and helpful hand can go a long way to easing a sense of loneliness that some older adults face.

But when volunteers come to help seniors, they often get something in return - a piece of wisdom, shared laughter, or a new perspective. This connection built between the senior and the volunteer is what brings joy to the senior, and often a sense of purpose, like it did for this senior homeowner:

"I met students and a teacher from Iowa...[The teacher] told me that she had a very 'positive' and 'different' opinion of Chicago after meeting my husband, neighbors & me!!"

Hope

Volunteers of all ages build bridges between generations.

Residents light up when children volunteer in our houses. And seeing young people give back gives seniors a renewed sense of hope. 

One senior told us, "The volunteers were very friendly, polite, and very hard workers. I'm 75 years old. These young volunteers made me feel like I was a family member that they cared about and respected."

How you can help

We rely on donations to connect volunteers with seniors. You can give the gift of hope this year.

This year H.O.M.E. has joined #ILGive to celebrate Giving Tuesday.

Will you mark your calendar for November 28, 2017 to help us reach our goal of raising $20,000 to make a big impact for seniors in 2018?

As a bonus, Bruce Otto, our Executive Director, has agreed to shave his the beard he has worn for most of his life. Watch the video here.

You can follow us on Facebook for updates, or sign up to be an #ILGive champion by fundraising for H.O.M.E.!

Or, donate today. 

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To find out more about H.O.M.E. and to provide support to low-income seniors, please visit our website or  like us on Facebook! 

This post is part of our series to celebrate Giving Tuesday, which will take place this year on November 28, 2017. The idea behind #GivingTuesday is to kickoff the holiday-giving season, in the same way that Black Friday and Cyber Monday kickoff the holiday-shopping season. 

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