Mount Pleasant Senior Living 2020-21

www.CharlestonRetirementLifestyle.com | www.RetiringToSC.com | www.HotRetirementTowns.com senior living SL - 18 V olunteerism is big in America, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Approximately 62.6 million people contribute 8 billion hours of service annually, worth roughly $184 billion. An impressive 36% — or 22.5 million — of those volunteers are dedicated seniors, cheerfully donating almost 3 billion hours of valuable service each year. The benefits of social service are especially significant for older adults. Volunteering promotes mental health, improves physical health, energizes social networks, encourages intergenerational relationships, wards off isolation and depression and gives value to living. However, when COVID-19 arrived, typical volunteer opportunities evaporated overnight, as senior centers, churches, charities, schools, enrichment programs, businesses and public service organizations went into lockdown. Some seniors chose to hunker down at home for the foreseeable future, while others already found or may still be looking for alternative areas of service. Pet Helpers of Charleston is one example of a local animal care facility that uses senior citizens in many capacities, including following up with recent adoptees, caring for the cats, walking the dogs, working in administration, cleaning the shelter and helping with fundraising events. According to Carrie Browning-Perez, community engagement manager, “Our volunteers provide services that allow us to spend more time helping our animals heal, raising money to see that their needs are met and finding them their forever homes.” For those seniors who love animals but may not be able to have their own pets, volunteering at an animal shelter is a welcome alternative. Beth Sulkowski, vice president of communications and advocacy for the South Carolina chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, is passionate about reaching caregiving families in the Mount Pleasant and Charleston areas and throughout the state. “We rely on dedicated volunteers to expand the reach of our programs to all communities — expansion that is even more important in times like these,” she noted. “Many seniors and retirees find that volunteering is a great way to stay involved while contributing to the fight to end Alzheimer’s. Since our program delivery has shifted to a virtual format, there are many ways for volunteers to donate their time and talents without leaving the safety of home.” Many senior volunteers are attracted to this organization because they witnessed firsthand the ravages of Alzheimer’s and dementia. These older volunteers bring both knowledge and empathy to roles such as leading support groups, engaging with those in the early stages of disease, educating the public, advocating with state and BY JANET E. PERRIGO Charity Begins at Home Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors