For many of us, a new year offers many opportunities to start fresh. Finding ways to feel good, give back, and create good habits fill our resolution to-do lists, and we look forward to diving into new goals and projects.
If one of your resolutions for 2018 includes helping others, there’s no better place to invest your time and energy than with CareLink! As the leading provider of services for seniors throughout central Arkansas, CareLink has a variety of volunteer needs and tasks that could be a great fit for you.
Based on your interests and skills, we have several ways that you could use your talents to touch someone’s life. Whether you want to spend a lot of time volunteering, or just offering a few hours per month, CareLink will happily accept anything you are willing to do. Let’s take a look at the options!
I’m Ready to Apply as a Volunteer Today
5 Volunteer Opportunities in Little Rock, AR
Below, you can find just a few of the ways you can donate your time to CareLink in the new year. Browse the options below, and apply easily online today.
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is one of our largest and most important programs at CareLink. Since Arkansas ranks number 1 in the nation for senior hunger, our dedication to Meals on Wheels is more needed than ever.
Meals on Wheels is a national nonprofit, operating in cities across the country. CareLink is dedicated to carrying out Meals on Wheels’ mission in Arkansas: to improve homebound seniors’ health and quality of life, while ensuring that they do not feel hungry or alone.
In 2017 alone, there were 699,269 meals that were made in our kitchen and then delivered by our volunteers and staff! That’s a lot of meals, representing so many wonderful seniors in our community.
Additionally, the time commitment for this important work is quite small. We ask that volunteers give one hour per week; this time allows you to pick up meals, one day per week (Monday through Friday) during lunchtime. This quick lunch break activity lets you take meals to a senior in need, giving them the food they need, along with a friendly visit and smile.
Click here to learn more about our Meals on Wheels program.
Senior Companion
Do you love talking to, caring for, and being a friend to many different people? As a senior companion, you can be just that. You are essentially volunteering to lift a senior’s spirits and give them the social interaction they are missing!
Senior companions are those who are 55 or older, with at least 25 hours per week to dedicate to CareLink. The volunteer work includes light housekeeping, transportation, and other small daily household tasks that homebound seniors need. Senior companions receive a stipend for their work, along with 40 hours of training to get started. Not only is this program a great way to spend your time and to give back, but it is also a wonderful way to stay active. Since the program is meant for those 55 years and older, it is a great way to keep yourself moving and engaged in important work.
Being a senior companion is fulfilling work, allowing you to improve someone’s life, make daily tasks easier, be a listening ear, and to learn more about the life of a senior in our area. We have found that our companion volunteers leave with just as much happiness as they impart on their homebound friends.
In 2017, our senior companions gave a total of 25,201 hours of care to seniors in need.
Ombudsmen
If you have an interest in giving a voice to those who are not heard, and sharing your compassion along the way, volunteering as an ombudsman is a great fit for you.
The ombudsmen are trained to speak with nursing home residents and their families, speaking on behalf of them to ensure that quality care is being given. A volunteer typically visits a nursing home on a weekly basis, checking in with residents and being a regular presence and resource for residents.
This specialized volunteer role comes with a day of training for the program, along with another 12 hours of training with their chosen nursing home. To get the full details, including age requirements and other restrictions, click here.
Volunteering for Arkansas’ Seniors
There’s no better New Year’s resolution than to look outside yourself and make time to help others. Especially for Arkansas, where our senior population is growing and the need for meal delivery and health care is on the rise, every bit of help we can give matters.
Even if you think your actions are small – like driving someone, dropping off a meal, or offering a smile or helping hand – they actually make the biggest impact on someone else. At CareLink, we work each day to connect seniors with the community, finding opportunities for help and friendship along the way.
If you want to start the new year on the right foot, apply today as a CareLink volunteer. We take your interests and time into strong consideration, working to find the perfect fit for you. We wish you a wonderful 2018, and we hope to work together in the year ahead!
