Senior Service Volunteers

Senior Services volunteers support two programs, Companionship and The Gathering - Senior Social Respite Events.

Companionship volunteers visit weekly one-on-one with a senior in his or her home. The volunteer and the senior are paired up by the Senior Services Coordinator based on their interests and needs.

Joyce has been volunteering as a Companion to Jody for over 3 years.  The two have become close friends. Occasionally Joyce drives Jody to the grocery when her son is out of town, but their favorite visits are spent at Jody’s kitchen table, chatting while working on a jigsaw puzzle.  “I was asked to visit Jody because she was alone most of the week after her husband died, but now I realize how much I needed another friend in my life too.  Life is all about the people we know and love!”
 

Family Pathway’s Social Respite program hosts a four-hour event at local churches two times each month.  These events are known as “The Gathering.”  Volunteers provide the attention needed by people suffering with early to mid-stage memory loss to have an enjoyable time reminiscing and socializing, participating in exercise, games, crafts and sharing a meal.  Other volunteers make lunch, organize craft projects, or make calls to confirm who will be able to attend.  All of these gifts of time allow the family caregiver to be comfortable taking a few hours to do something else.  The person with memory loss gets the “social” outing while the caregiver gets the “respite.”

“Sometimes I think I look forward to the Gathering more than the clients do.  We have a great time, plus I know from my own life how hard it is to always be “on call” for a person with Alzheimer’s.  It feels good to give a few hours a month to help another family cope with that challenge.”

“To volunteer with Senior Services call:

• Chisago County or Forest Lake: 651-257-790
 
• Isanti County and Princeton (Millle Lacs County): 763-552-7284
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• Kanabec County: 320-225-9277
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• Pine County: 320-245-6865

You may also use the toll free number to get connected to any of the programs:   1-877-321-7100