Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) depends on volunteers to make many of our programs possible. We offer the following Volunteer Opportunities to suit your interests and schedule. Whichever you choose, you can make a difference in the lives of older people and younger people with disabilities, while enriching your own life.
If you have a few hours each month to help a neighbor, you can run an errand for them while you’re running your own, take them for a walk or read them the newspaper. Skills: Being a good neighbor!
Help SCES and the Greater Boston Food Bank provide extra food for our older neighbors in need. Volunteers load up 30-lb. grocery boxes and make deliveries on the first Tuesday of each month, starting between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Delivery drivers must have their own vehicle.
Help older adults with behavioral health conditions regularly attend medical appointments and get the care they need. An Advocate can provide comfort and support during medical appointments, reducing stress and anxiety as well as assist with related tasks, such as scheduling appointments, getting to appointments, and taking notes to retain information as needed.
Volunteers are asked to submit notes to our Program Manager every month documenting medical appointments or visits to the client’s home.
Volunteers need some weekday availability to attend appointments, which average 3 hours in length (including transportation to/from). There are typically 1 or 2 appointments per month
Very flexible – Choose how often, where, and when to volunteer. A typical trip is two to four hours. A medical escort helps older adults by accompanying or driving them to medical appointments (volunteers can use their own cars or accompany elders in a taxi or other community transportation). Training: Additional liability insurance, and stipend provided. Skills: Sensitivity to aging and disability issues, reliability, good communication. Patience with waiting for arranged transportation and sensitivity to disabilities–including mobility impairments or anxiety–is a must!
Enrich your life by visiting an isolated senior in her/his home once a week to provide companionship, share interests and hobbies, and enjoy learning about the past through the experiences of older adults. Time commitment: about one hour per week, days/evenings/weekends. Skills: Ability to form a friendship, sensitivity to older adults, reliability, active listening and respect for confidentiality. Fluency in other languages a plus, but is not required. Our Friendly Visiting program is a collaboration with FriendshipWorks, based in Boston.
Assist low-income elders with bill-paying, reconciling bank statements, bank errands, and managing their money. Time commitment: four to six hours per month at your convenience, renewable each year. Brief training required. Both bill-payers and representative payees are needed. We are also seeking volunteer monitors to review client records. Skills: Ability to balance a checkbook and reconcile bank statements, sensitivity to elders, reliability, willingness to do minimal paperwork, respect for confidentiality.
As a volunteer in the Health Advocate Program, you will be matched with an older adult who needs help with his or her medical care. You will become familiar with the person’s medical issues and accompany them to doctor’s visits to ensure their concerns are addressed, provide emotional support and ensure they understand the doctor’s diagnoses, prescriptions and instructions. Training is provided. Skills: Sensitivity to aging and disability issues, reliability, good communication. Patience with waiting for arranged transportation and sensitivity to disabilities–including mobility impairments or anxiety–is a must!
Volunteer coaches help older adults navigate technology basics, providing three succinct sessions per client to help with device set-up and instruction for email, Zoom, and other common applications.
Advice is limited to devices our volunteers can assist with, such as Kindle tablets, newer computers, and smart phones. The program won’t function as a Help Desk, but can help older adults get started and recommend other local resources that offer more in-depth classes or tutoring.
If needed, the program includes an initial visit to the older adult’s residence to drop off a device and/or materials, link to wifi, and install apps. Following-up sessions are over the phone. In-person visits are subject to a COVID-19 protocol (including pre-screening and PPE) and are limited to 15 minutes. Weekday availability is ideal, so that our staff can provide support.
Click to inquire, and we’ll ask you to complete an application prior to volunteering. A CORI background check is required of all volunteers; please complete the CORI form and submit a government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license) with your application.”
For More Information:
Call our Volunteer Program Coordinator at
617-628-2601, x3214 or send an e-mail to vol@eldercare.org.
