In 2020, one in six Americans will be an older adult. Younger volunteers are increasingly needed to meet the needs of this rapidly growing population. My earliest memory of feeding a nursing home patient was not after I became an adult hospice volunteer. It was during my high school days when I joined a school club that encouraged me to make a positive difference in people's lives through service. Many times long-lasting seeds for service are sown with the young. I actually started volunteering long before high school. Fortunately, I had opportunities to see service encouraged and modeled.
High school and college healthcare volunteers can benefit greatly in win-win partnerships that serve older adults. They often learn about career choices they may not have considered. On college resumes, potential employers look for service as an indication of good character. Some hospices and other healthcare facilities have teenage and young adult volunteers doing the following assignments:
http://hospiceandnursinghomes.blogspot.com/2015/04/young-volunteers-needed-for-older.html
Frances Shani Parker
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