Many older adults live alone, can't get out of the house, and have no family nearby. This can cause frustration, anxiety and just plain loneliness.

And that's where the “Volunteer Home Visitors Program” comes in.

Run by Catholic Charities of Western New York, this outreach program has been in place for several years in Genesee County and, according to coordinator Jim Morasco, is now getting started in Orleans County after three years of existing in the form of the “Friendly Phones Program” (which has volunteers check in on seniors by phone rather than by visitation).

The program is run through the Office for the Aging in both counties; it is funded by the Muriel Marshall Fund in Genesee County and by a private funder in Orleans County. Available to adults 60 and older, it matches each senior participant with a volunteer who will come into his or her home to provide company and to socialize.

"It's generally for an hour," Morasco said. "When people sign up, they give us times that are convenient for them. We try to match them up with volunteers who have that time frame open."

Coordinators attempt to look not only for time frames convenient for both volunteers and seniors, but also for hobbies and interests that they might share.

Morasco stressed that the program does not entail hospice work -- bathing, driving to appointments, or similar responsibilities – although referrals can be provided for such things.

“(We work in conjunction with) just about anybody that works with people -- anyone with a connection to the elderly,” Morasco said. “So for example, say we go into someone’s home and they need something fixed. We can call Community Action or the Office for the Aging, both of whom have a handyman program. Not long ago, we helped a woman whose furnace stopped working at the beginning of winter get a new one through the Veterans Association.”

The main purpose of the “Volunteer Home Visitors Program” is to foster friendships.

"It's to break up the monotony of being alone," Morasco said. "I always say to people, 'Think about how busy you are when you're younger. You always have something to do, and you probably have a family. And then when you get older, sometimes they move away. People pass away. And all of a sudden you're frail, you can't go out, you can't drive, and nobody's around anymore.' That's where a lot of folks find themselves."

He described these home visitations as "socialization, and also wellness."

"You get to know people, and sometimes they start to look like maybe they need some help. I went into the home of a person I was visiting once and found her lying on the floor. Who knows how long she would have been there if she hadn't had that visit?"

In Genesee County, 52 seniors are signed up for the program at this time. There are 41 volunteers, and six people are on a waiting list. Orleans County currently has around 20 volunteers, about evenly matched with senior participants.

Morasco said he sees both seniors and volunteers benefitting from the home visits.

"A lot of (senior participants) say they look forward to their visitor or their caller," he said. "And the volunteers tell me that they get just as much out of this, if not more, than the seniors. When you give, you receive."

For more information, call Catholic Charities at 343-0614, ext 23.

Photo courtesy of Danette Weaver.

The site supervisor would work alongside our volunteer coordinator and help train and lead a work crew of about 5-15 people. 

The individual must have experience in residential construction and committ to leading a crew 2x a month on either Wednesdays or Saturdays. 9a-3p.

For more information or if you are interested in this position please call us at 585-345-1656 or email us at info@geneseehabitat.com

“Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.”

The Warm Line is a peer-to-peer award-winning program of the MHA that provides support and encouragement to individuals in our community.  The Warm Line is in operation from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., 365 days a year.

If you would like to find out more about this training opportunity or general Warm Line services, please contact Charley DelPlato, Warm Line coordinator at 344-2611.

This information. and much more, can be found at The Animal Rescue Site.

To vote for Volunteers for Animals, please click HERE!

Hi!  I'm writing to tell you about The Animal Rescue Site $300,000 Shelter+ Challenge of 2012 - together with Petfinder.  The Animal Rescue Site is awarding $300,000 in grants to eligible Petfinder.com member rescue organizations to help animals.  The grand prize in each voting round is a $5,000 grant, and there are many other prizes!  Visit The Animal Rescue Site to vote every day and learn more.  You don't have to register, and voting is FREE!  Support your favorite shelter and vote today! 

How long is the Challenge, and how can we increase our chances?
This voting round begins on January 9, 2012, and ends at midnight (PT) on March 18, 2012. There will be other voting rounds throughout the year - more chances for your organization to win! The more friends you can rally to vote for your favorite rescue organization, the better its chances of winning. Every vote, every day counts - shelters can pull ahead even during the last few days with enough support. Get people involved! Your favorite rescue organization is counting on you!

What kind of grant could my shelter win?
Seventy (70) grants will be awarded for a total of $75,000 to eligible Petfinder.com members during the very first voting round of the 2012 Challenge. The grand prize will go to the eligible Petfinder.com organization with the highest accumulative votes for the duration of the Challenge as specified in the rules.

The Prizes Are:
Grand Prize:  One $5,000 grant!
Dark Horse Grand Prize:  One $2,000 grant!
Dark Horse Runners Up:  Five $1,000 grants.
State Winners:  Fifty-one $1,000 state grants
  (50 U.S. states and Washington D.C.)
Canadian Winners:  One $1,000 grant will be awarded.
International Winner:  One $1,000 grant will be awarded.
Weekly Winners:  Ten $1,000 grants will be awarded, one for each week of this voting round of the Shelter⁺ Challenge.

Volunteers will meet at the church, at 300 E. Main St. in Batavia, around 9:45 a.m. to carpool. Planting will end around noon. Volunteers will also be needed to weed, water and harvest throughout the summer.

Last year's crops were donated to various local charities; this year, the crops will be given to people in our community who are in need.

If you are interested in helping out, please call the Church at 343-0505.

If interested and available from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, April 20, please contact Judy Spring at 344-1122.

The goal of this project is to remove invasive plant species from the park and to raise plants designed to reduce soil erosion, provide the wildlife with food and shelter, and give visitors something more aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Supplies and water will be available, but volunteers are encouraged to bring their own water as well.

The day will include activities for youth, and lunch will be provided.

Anyone interested in participating in or making a donation to this project should call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960 and ask to speak to Lauren. Information is also available on Facebook (search "DeWitt Planting Project").

"AmeriCorps headquarters encourages us to do something on Martin Luther King Day in the spirit of Dr. King," said Kathy Frank, AmeriCorps program director for Genesee County.

Many businesses and organizations from Genesee and Orleans counties participated.

Notable examples included:

Genesee County AmeriCorps Frank provided information about the opportunities Genesee County AmeriCorps has for anyone age 17 and older. This organization is well known for matching applicants with local organizations based on the individual interests and organizational needs. Participants earn a stipend and are eligible for an education award that will help pay for college tuition or, in the case of college graduates, student loans. Frank said that legislation was passed in October allowing participants age 55 and older to use that education award to help pay for their children's or grandchildren's college. Anyone interested in learning more should contact Frank through the Genesee County Youth Bureau.

The Ministry of Concern's "Just Friends" Program Bill Hawthorne, who works for the Just Friends program through AmeriCorps Vista, offers information for people ages 18 and older who are interested in volunteering their time to building friendships with children and teens.

"We took over the Big Buddy program in August when the director retired," Hawthorne said. "We have people from all walks of life who devote time to making a difference in kids' lives."

Only eight hours a month are required for each volunteer, and activities can include simple things like playing catch, going for walks, cooking or even just talking. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Bill at vista@ministryofconcern.org.

CASA for Children Volunteer Linda Buzzell (left) and board member Ed Liesing represent CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children, part of a national volunteer association that seeks to help children who are victims of abuse and/or neglect. For more information, contact Tara Pariso at tpariso@co.genesee.ny.us.

Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) Joe Langen, who works at Go Art! through AmeriCorps, provides information about volunteer opportunities for people of all ages in a variety of capacities (assitance at events, office work, ambassadorship, etc). Visit www.goart.org for more information.

 
(New Orleans Tugboat)

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.~Tom Brokaw

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Gook morning Joe. You've been making yourself scarce lately.
JOE: I can't deny it. My life is suddenly awhirl.
CALLIOPE: What did you do yesterday?
JOE: I started by taking my car for an oil change so it doesn't grind to a halt. I watched a movie. Then I went with Carol to cash in on a Christmas gift, Restorative Message for Two. Finally I represented GO ART! at the Volunteer Fair put on by AmeriCorps.
CALLIOPE: I thought I might hear from you later yesterday.
JOE: I thought you might too, but alas I ran out of energy.
CALLIOPE: At least you are keeping busy. How was the Fair?
JOE: Great. I got to know a few of my fellow AmeriCorps volunteers better as well as meeting some old friends and representatives from community services and agencies.
CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting.
JOE: It is exciting. I'm glad to taking more of an active part in the community.
CALLIOPE: Back to GO ART today?
JOE: Yes. I'm ready for more adventures.