Any Age Can Volunteer
My fellow Amintro friends, it’s your time to shine. Sure right now we are facing a crisis the likes of which most of us have never seen before. Corona Virus, now called COVID-19, has many running scared but as a generation, we either grew up with, or oversaw our children watching important and educational shows like Mr. Rogers. This is important because it was Mr. Rogers who said in times of trouble, always look for the helpers. Don’t focus on the negative, but rather – what are the positives? That’s what Amintro would like to talk about today. We are a generation that was one of the first to see both parents working regularly outside of the home and the logistics of planning weekly dinners and kid’s schedules while balancing a full or part-time job is something we KNOW a thing or two about! Now it’s time to put all that mature, 50+ experience we Amintronians have to work, helping one another through this COVID-19 crisis with a focus on ways to volunteer and to “help thy neighbour.”
Connecting “Offline” – Use our printable notecard!
“Kicking it old school” is something the mature, 50+ adult is familiar with. We grew up when cell phones didn’t exist, kids played outside and neighbours knew one another. We know “how” to do offline communication! Take a little walk around your neighborhood if you’re able (or perhaps you already are) and make a note of where your more “senior” seniors live. Knock on the door and offer to help the old-fashioned way. You can maintain social distance while chatting from the front porch. Even better, if you can, call your neighbours and ask what they might need. Perhaps your best option of all? Use our new printable note card that can be delivered door-to-door to let people know they’re not alone, and that there are people (like you!) in the community who are willing to support them through this challenging time by volunteering a helping hand. Take the time to pick up some groceries, a much-needed prescription, maybe even a coffee for a neighbor in need and leave the requested items on the front porch or outside their apartment door to minimize the risk of contact.
Group Chats
Here’s another great idea that happened quite close to our home and if you are using our printable note cards, you might go one step further with this initiative. This past weekend the weather was cool but sunny, drawing people outdoors. Folks called or waved a friendly hello from a respectful distance. Then it began; one neighbor, cell phone in hand, began calling out to those who live nearby to share cell phone numbers in a “group chat.” Her idea was that if any one of us needed help, we could summon the group chat members for support. Folks were willingly giving out numbers just like the “old days” and offers of assistance began to flow almost immediately.
Be a friend, Drive a friend – or at least deliver their groceries!
If you have a vehicle, consider offering help to an older adult who relies on public transit and is simply by virtue of their age, more at risk for complications from the COVID-19 virus. Offer them a drive or to pick up items on their behalf. If you are healthy and still making trips out and about, check in with your neighbors and family both young and older. Even a stay at home Mom with three kids might not be so mobile right now and those in self-isolation at any age need our help. They can’t leave the home. Note that in some areas and towns, stores are opening early just for seniors to shop, allowing that first hour of business for those who can’t (and shouldn’t) have to deal with all the jostling crowds right now. Take a friend with you when you shop. (Just be sure to keep your distance!) These are just a few ideas on how to volunteer your time to help others and we’d love to hear yours. Let us know what you’re doing to help others during these unprecedented times.
Staying Safe
Here are a few reminder tips and tools on how to stay safe, even while “helping thy neighbor.” Remember social distancing is key, keeping at least 6 feet apart from others. Hand washing every time you enter your home, cough or sneeze, and/or using hand sanitizers as you go out and about in the community are critically important right now. Remember, don’t touch your face! Specifically, avoid putting your hands in or near your mouth and avoid touching your eyes and nose as these are the critical entry points for the virus. Wipe down surfaces at home regularly with a product of your choice but which is known to kill bacteria.
Join us Online
After spending all that time “offline”, shopping, helping and sanitizing, take a break and visit our new Amintro Connects Facebook group, a place where the 50+ Amintro audience, and those who care about them, can share thoughts, questions, experiences, ideas, and so much more, whether virus related or good news stories! It’s yet another place for Amintro friends to gather! For now, we will leave you with this final thought from Amintro’s founder, Charlene Nadalin: “The irony is that this pandemic, while asking us to self-isolate, is actually bringing people together because it’s something that unifies us; we all have the same concerns in common.”
