A Senior Village Volunteer Is Going Your Way
Barbara Barr
Have you stopped driving or discontinued driving outside of SaddleBrooke? Are you flying solo and in need of assistance to get to or from a medical appointment after you’ve been advised not to drive? Do you need transportation to get groceries or a haircut? No matter where you need to go, there is a friendly volunteer at Senior Village who is going your way and happy to take you there. It’s so easy to get this assistance.
First, you need to join Senior Village. If you are comfortable with the Internet, you can contact the Senior Village for membership at seniorvillage.org. If you are not comfortable with a computer, just call 520-314-1042.
Annual memberships are only $60 for a single membership or $96 for a household. Such a bargain for so much help! Then, when you want to schedule a ride from Senior Village, it’s important to provide five days’ notice. First, simply call Senior Village at 520-314-1042 and leave clear details about your transportation needs. In addition to your name and contact information, you will want to leave very specific information about the date, time, and location of your destination. The Dispatch Team will acquire a volunteer to help you meet your needs. You will receive a call from this volunteer to set up the details of your ride.
For those in need of transportation, Senior Village offers a safe, insured, vetted volunteer driver who cares about their SaddleBrooke neighbors. Riders can feel both safe and secure. Members find the volunteers to be friendly, capable, and caring. Senior Village makes life easier for so many SaddleBrooke residents. For some in SaddleBrooke, Senior Village even makes it possible for them to stay in their homes.
For the volunteers who provide transportation, there are so many rewards. This team of dedicated residents helped log more than 38,835 miles in 2021. Providing a ride is such an easy way to make a difference in the life of another person. Many volunteers find driving to be one of the most personally rewarding experiences of any volunteer work they have done. Others feel it gives them an opportunity to pay it forward, thinking that one day they may need rides. Volunteers find that the small things they do make a big difference in the lives of Senior Village members. For an opportunity to experience this incredibly rewarding volunteer work, visit seniorvillage.org.
Senior Village Helps You When Life Detours
Stephanie Thomas
We enter dates into calendars. We schedule events. We plan future activities. We think we have the future well in hand. Then what happens?
The unexpected. The “curve balls” of life. All our careful planning and scheduling go out the window. Not only is this frustrating, but the consequences can create major challenges. The good news is that Senior Village is here to help you navigate these detours.
For example, a slip on the tennis court or a fall from a ladder leaves you unable to drive. Senior Village’s volunteer drivers on the Going My Way Team will take members to most places in Tucson just by phoning at least five days ahead of your appointment.
Even though you feel confident tackling most minor projects around the house, jobs pop up that need more experience, a keener eye, or sturdier knees. The Helping Hands Team boasts volunteers who know how to do just about any small job, from tightening screws to putting a sliding door back on its rollers to connecting a computer to the printer.
What to do when your high tech “smart” timer for your irrigation system goes on the blink? Or your Alexa won’t play your favorite music? Call on the Village’s Home Automation Team.
Sometimes medical challenges limit mobility, which, in turn, causes people to become more homebound. The Friendly Contact Team keeps in touch with Senior Village members via phone calls and home visits, loaning audiobook players and delivering meals after a hospital or rehab stay.
One of the most devastating experiences is the death of a spouse or partner. You will not have to face the maze of paperwork alone when you have an advocate from the Forms and Documents Team for guidance and support.
Even though we think we will live out our days in SaddleBrooke, there may come a time that a long-term residence offers a safer, more convenient way of living. The idea seems overwhelming. Thank goodness for the Moving On Team. These volunteer advocates assist you through the process of finding a residence that fits your needs and arranging the details of transitioning.
When detours throw your life in a different direction, Senior Village volunteers are your “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” Annual membership is $60 for a single and $96 for a household. To join the Village, call 520-314-1042.