Volunteering at Encore
February 8, 2019One of the most rewarding things a person can do is volunteer their time to help another. And few people deserve a kind, caring hand more than our beloved elderly population. In addition to providing an invaluable service to our seniors, volunteering offers an immense sense of pride, satisfaction, and community service. Giving back to your community and making a real difference in someone’s life is a feeling that is hard to match.
Here are some great reasons to volunteer at an assisted living facility like Encore:
• Expand your horizons through volunteering. Seniors have life experiences and wisdom to share that you can’t get anywhere else. When you spend time with the aging population, you open yourself up to an entire world of knowledge and new perspectives on things that can enrich your life. Seniors absolutely love sharing their stories from the past and reminiscing, and having someone to tell those things to makes a huge difference for them.
• Gain valuable career experience. Volunteering your time offers the opportunity to develop critical skills that are applicable to almost any workplace, including organization, coordination of activities and routines, and assisting with larger projects like fundraising. It also provides a great opportunity to see if a career in senior care is right for you.
• Form lasting friendships. When you share time and experiences with seniors, you’ll easily form lasting bonds and make real friends as opposed to viewing them as an obligation. These friendships are fulfilling for both parties too, as studies show that social interactions with volunteers improve brain function and lower the risk of depression in seniors.
• It can be beneficial for your health. There is data available to suggest that activities like volunteering helps to lower mortality rates in participants. This is likely due to the mental and physical benefits that volunteering offers, as well as the sense of purpose inherent to volunteering.
If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer with us here at Encore, we invite you to visit our office for a meet and greet interview to get familiarized with us and our program. If you would like to move forward with the volunteer process, fill out our Volunteer Application here. Contact us at 407-270-7500 with any questions.