For someone who wants to be involved in serving their community, helping the elderly is a great place to start. Whether you just want to help others or you need to find a community service project for a church group or school project, there are plenty of opportunities to help end senior isolation, hunger, or depression by providing services such as grocery delivery, yard work, starting a handiwork club, teaching computer skills, or simply making a friend. Connect with a like-minded organization that specializes in matching volunteers with particular types of service opportunities, or lead your own initiative with family or friends. Whatever your age, you can make a difference in the lives of others.
Serving the Elderly With a Full-Service Car Wash
Chores like washing the car can be a lot for an elderly person to handle, but they’ll certainly feel happy to have a sparkling-clean car again.
Helping an Elder Care for their Yard
Offer to mow the lawn or take care of yard work such as raking, weeding, watering, clearing gutters, or shoveling during winter months.
How to Start a Grocery Shopping Service for Seniors
Shopping can be a hassle even with plenty of energy and agility. One way to be a big help to a senior is to offer to bring their groceries right to their door.
Teaching Computer Skills to Older Adults
If you’re tech-savvy, share your skills with an elderly friend to help them connect with others online.
How to Run a Book Club for Seniors
Join or begin an intergenerational book club in your community and you can all get fresh perspectives on well-loved classics.
Tips for Helping a Senior Clean House
Help out with window-washing, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping floors, or laundry: These are all things that can be overwhelming to take care of alone for the elderly.
Volunteer to Help Drive for Seniors
Become a volunteer driver and help those who can’t drive anymore run their errands.
Preserving Memories With Seniors
Travel down memory lane with an elderly friend or family member by sorting their old photos and listening to the stories each snapshot holds.
Meals on Wheels
Take time out of your day to deliver hot meals and help end senior hunger and isolation in your community.
Reading Aloud to the Elderly
Sign up for a reading program at your local nursing home and use your voice to make literature come alive for those with poor eyesight.
How to Adopt a Grandparent
Build a long-term friendship with an elderly person in your community by adopting them as a grandparent.
Don’t have time to visit a nursing home regularly but still want to help the elderly? Become a pen pal.
Help Record Their Life Stories
Spend time recording and transcribing the stories of the previous generation and showing that each one is valuable and worth preserving.
Sew Walker Caddies
Get in touch with your crafty side and sew these nifty walker caddies for an elderly friend!
How to Give Pedicures to Seniors
Sometimes, when you look good, you feel good. Offer a manicure or pedicure to an elderly person you know, or treat them to a salon trip.
Performing Music in Nursing Homes
If you’re musically talented, ask to perform at a local nursing home and share your talents.
Run an iPod Donation Drive
Memory, music, and mood are inextricably intertwined for many people. Give seniors access to the music they love through their own MP3 player.
Help Seniors Learn to Knit or Crochet
Eager to hone your knitting skills and teach or learn new stitches? Start up a knitting club at a local nursing home.
Do Art Projects With Seniors
Offer to lead art projects at your local nursing home and you’ll also enjoy expressing yourselves with paint or pencils.
Cooking and Kitchen Activities for Nursing Home Residents
Enjoy spending time in the kitchen together with local seniors.
Paint Birdhouses
Birdhouses can bring a bright splash of color to any window along with a sense of accomplishment when they are personally built and decorated.
Take a Senior to a Museum
Invite a senior friend to a museum with you and they’ll be able to take in the exhibits and get a little bit of exercise as they explore.
Help Seniors Create a Memory Quilt
Create new memories while preserving old ones when you work with a senior to make a memory quilt.
How to Start a Community Choir
Love to sing? Find an elderly friend who does, too, and start an informal singing group.
Nursing Home Negligence Attorney
Information on nursing home abuse and neglect cases with information on legal rights.
Form a Crochet Circle to Make Baby Blankets
Get a group of senior citizens together who are interested in learning and teaching crochet techniques and make baby blankets for donation.
Help a Senior to Garden
Brighten up a room with a living floral arrangement, herbs, or a vegetable assortment in a pot for an elderly person who enjoys gardening.
