How Can Seniors Take Part in Community Charity Events?

According to an April 2024 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 11+ million people volunteered on an average day in 2022. Adults 65 and over had the highest volunteerism rates: 7.8% of women and 6.4% of men in this age bracket volunteered on an average day.

More seniors participate in charity events and volunteerism because they have more time. Such activities also let them engage in meaningful causes that enrich their lives and those they help.

Best of all, many senior volunteer opportunities allow even less mobile older adults and those in assisted living communities in Vineland, NJ, to participate.

So, if you or an older loved one wants to have some community involvement for seniors, this guide is for you. Join us here at Baker Place Assisted Living as we share the best ways seniors can contribute and enjoy active aging through volunteering opportunities.

Check Out Cumberland County's RSVP

RSVP stands for Retired and Senior and Volunteer Program. It's the nation's most extensive organized senior volunteer program. New Jersey's Cumberland County Board of Commissioners sponsors it, while the Cumberland County Office on Aging & Disability Services administers it.

RSVP provides opportunities for charity volunteering for elderly individuals (55 and older) in the county, including Vineland, NJ.

According to the Cumberland County government website, RSVP opportunities are flexible; volunteers can contribute a few to 40 hours a week. Thanks to this flexibility, even less mobile older adults can find ways to participate without leaving home. So, they're ideal ways for seniors in an assisted living community to help others.

For example, if you or your older loved one has a flair for teaching, you may be eligible for RSVP's Mentoring Program. It gives you the chance to mentor kids aged 6 to 12.

To learn more about the program, contact the RSVP Office at 856-691-1328. Ask if they offer opportunities to teach kids online or with them visiting your home or senior living community in Vineland, NJ.

Spread Some Lasagna Love

Lasagna Love is a global nonprofit and grassroots movement that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Back then, the founder, Rhiannon Menn, and her toddler decided to make and deliver meals to their emotionally and financially struggling neighbors. Since then, the organization has grown significantly and now has 56,000 volunteers. It operates in three countries, including the U.S., and serves 3,500 meals weekly.

Lasagna Love has a branch in New Jersey. If you or your older loved one wants to give back to your Vineland, NJ, community, consider becoming a volunteer or participating in their many charity events.

For instance, you can volunteer to make lasagna in your well-appointed Baker Place apartment. Then, you can donate it to the movement, spread kindness, and help feed families facing food insecurities.

If you don't have time or the energy to cook lasagna yourself, you can also become a sponsor. Lasagna Love lets you sponsor a volunteer chef who'll make the meals and feed those in need on your behalf. The organization also accepts one-time and monthly donations to cover the costs of whipping up and delivering the meals.

Donate to Cumberland County Habitat for Humanity

Are you or your older loved one just about to transition to an assisted living community in Vineland, NJ, such as Baker Place?

If so, you likely have things at home that you won't bring to your new senior apartment. In this case, you may be able to donate them to Cumberland County Habitat for Humanity. Their charity events and programs accept the following items and materials that are in good working condition:

Living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture
Appliances
Household goods
Building, roofing, electrical, and plumbing materials
Hardware and tools
Electronics

Habitat for Humanity will sell your donations and use all the profits to build and repair homes throughout the county. So, by donating the stuff you'll no longer use once you move to your new senior community, you can still make the most out of them by having their sales proceeds go to people who need housing-related assistance in Vineland and other cities in Cumberland County. Don't worry about hauling and dropping them off, either, as representatives from the organization will pick them up for free!

Become an AmeriCorps Senior

AmeriCorps Senior is a national service agency that helps adults 55 and older find volunteering opportunities and charity events to enrich their lives and those of others.

AmeriCorps operates in New Jersey, including Cumberland County, and allows older adults to participate in the Foster Grandparent Program. By becoming an FGP volunteer, you or your older loved one can devote some of your time to being a mentor, role model, and friend to youth with exceptional needs. You also enjoy the benefit of expanding your social networks and keeping your cognitive functions engaged.

Visit the NJ Department of State website to learn more about FGP opportunities in Vineland, including those that allow less mobile seniors to participate.

Join Charity Events Offered by Your Senior Living Community

Our senior living community in Vineland, NJ, Baker Place, understands the many benefits of volunteering and charity acts for seniors. As such, we encourage our older residents to get involved.

Through our compassionate and caring team, we assist our residents in finding charity options suited to their needs, preferences, and abilities. In doing so, we help seniors with mobility woes to find meaningful causes and give back to the community. So, even if they can no longer move about as vigorously as before, they can still extend a helping hand to those in need.

Engage in Charitable Activities From and at Baker Place

From participating in Cumberland County's RSVP to joining Lasagna Love, these are just some examples of volunteering activities and charity events for seniors in Vineland, NJ. Best of all, many opportunities are inclusive, so even older adults facing mobility issues can participate from home or their senior living communities.

If you're ready to make a difference in other people's lives, our lovely, welcoming, pet-friendly senior living community, Baker Place Assisted Living, will be happy to help!

Speak with us today to schedule your visit. We'll happily give you a tour.