Volunteer Opportunities
Visiting old friends:
- Christmas gift visitor
- Holiday bag deliverer
- In-home celebration volunteer
- In-home birthday visitor
- Phone visitor
- Visiting volunteer
On-site volunteers for:
Drivers for:
Other Opportunities:
VISITING PROGRAMS
The LBFE Visiting Programs bring friendship to our Old Friends with one-on-one visits both by phone and in person. Whether they are in their own homes or in a seniors setting, volunteers and staff visit elders to build a meaningful friendship. During these visits, we listen, share, and assist with small tasks that help them continue to live independently within the community.
Visiting volunteers are matched with an elder (in the area of their choice) and have the opportunity to build a meaningful relationship through regular visits. By listening and sharing stories, the volunteers create a bond that grows in strength and depth over time. Your time commitment is 6 flexible hours per month and we ask that you commit at least one year visiting an elder.
Phone visitors lend a sympathetic ear and offer a friendly voice by calling elders regularly. These calls are not just a quick “check-in.” They offer an opportunity for a heart-to-heart discussion, and reassure Old Friends that they are remembered and loved. Your time commitment is anywhere from 1 to 10 hours per month.
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS
Many of our elders spend their holidays with the friends they have made through Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly. We escort our Old Friends from their homes to these parties, or go into their home with a celebration designed just for them.
Holiday Parties volunteer Drivers bring elders from their homes to our Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas Day events. It is a wonderful way to spend a few hours helping elders out of their isolation and loneliness by bringing them out for the holidays and enjoying a meal with them. Our On-site volunteers and Cooks help decorate, cook, serve, wash dishes and clean up at these holiday parties. We also celebrate minor holidays throughout the year and have plenty of opportunities for drivers, cooks and on-site assistance.
Through teamwork, these volunteers make each gathering memorable. Your time commitment is 5 hours for driving and 6 hours for on-site. You can sign up for one or all three.
Holiday Bag Deliveries are delivered to those elders unable to come out to one of our festive parties. This is a special visit for our elders who would otherwise spend Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas Day alone. Your time commitment is between 3 to 5 hours on the holiday.
Our Christmas Gift Program enables us to provide our Old Friends with gifts that they really need and want. Our volunteers pick up the special gift at our office and make an extra special holiday visit to the elder along with the delivery of the gift. Your time commitment is 1 hour per visit and you can deliver as many gifts as your time allows.
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS
Our year-round Celebrations of Life are festive gatherings where elders have a chance to visit with others and enjoy good food. We escort our Old Friends from their homes to these special events, or go into their home with a celebration designed just for them.
At our Wednesday Luncheons, Saturday Family Reunions and Birthday Parties, our volunteer Drivers bring elders from their homes to these special events. It is a wonderful way to spend a few hours helping elders out of their isolation and loneliness by bringing them to the event and enjoying a meal with them. Our on-site volunteers and cooks roll up their sleeves to help decorate, cook, serve, wash dishes and clean up at these festive events. Through teamwork, these volunteers make each gathering memorable. Your time commitment is 6 hours for each event and you can sign up for as many as you would like-come once a week or once a year.
Sometimes our elders can not or do not want to come out to a party. Our volunteers bring the party to them. In-Home Celebration volunteers bring something good to eat, a gift to brighten their day and the special gift of a visit. When elders are unable to attend their birthday party, our In-Home Birthday Visitors bring personalized gifts, a decorated birthday cake and other goodies, lavishing attention on those elders who cannot come to our birthday party. Your time commitment is 2 hours per visit and you can visit regularly or once a year.
Outing assistance volunteers bring their enthusiasm to help the elders enjoy a trip to the zoo, a movie, a ballgame, a special restaurant and much more. You will accompany an individual or a group on the event. Your time commitment is approximately 5 hours and you can help out once a month or once a year.
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
VACATION PROGRAMS
Each summer, our Old Friends can escape the noise of the city through our weeklong Rochelle Vacation Program. We have volunteer opportunities for drivers to transport vacationing elders to and from our headquarters where they board a bus to the vacation home in Rochelle, Illinois far from the noise of Chicago. Your time commitment is a few short hours on a summer Saturday morning. In addition, we have opportunities for volunteers to spend one week in Rochelle to join our Old Friends as they chat on the screened-in porch, gather for a movie or game, sit in the sun, and have leisurely home-cooked meals. The memories of Rochelle help keep our seniors warm in the winter, and looking forward to something special the following summer.
You will have the opportunity to witness the tremendous difference a vacation can make in the lives of our seniors. Your time commitment is 1 week.
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Through a variety of effective programs, we support those who wish to remain independent and in their own homes as long as possible. We also support those who wish to “age in place”, in the environment where they feel most at home. We also offer our elders special programs to keep them connected and demonstrate that others care about their well-being. Our staff is trained to lend a hand to elders who struggle with the complex challenges and changes that affect our friends.
Our monthly Food bag delivery volunteers pick up fresh produce and packaged goods from our office on a monthly schedule and deliver to elders who are most in need. These important deliveries offer a chance to check in on elders and you can stay and chat if you’d like. Your monthly time commitment ranges from 2 to 5 hours per month.
Our volunteer drivers for our Social Clubs such as the Book Club and Art Club bring elders to our monthly gatherings where everyone has the opportunity to enjoy their similar interests. Your time commitment is 5 hours per month.
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
There is something for nearly everyone who wants to volunteer here at LBFE.
Special Event fundraising Join the planning committee for Walk in the Park, June 8, 2008. Be a volunteer the day-of or participate in a community fundraiser.
Elder Party’s Planning Committee Help make things happen at LBFE by sharing your ideas on a planning committee. Your time and talents will bring new perspectives to many of the celebrations held for our elders.
Office Work If you have a few hours during the week to help with a few odds and ends around the office, we have a variety of tasks available to you.
Fairs/Festivals Spend a few hours around Chicago talking about your interest in LBFE to potential volunteers.
If you have skills or ideas that aren’t listed above and would like to do something else to help us with our mission, by all means, contact us. We love new ideas!
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
INTERNSHIPS
Students and career-builders alike can choose from a variety of opportunities to serve while gaining valuable hands-on experience. We offer programs for those interested in one-year fulltime, school-year requirements, summer and work-study in a variety of disciplines. During the summer vacation program nursing student volunteers assist our more frail seniors so they can enjoy the country setting. Find out more.
INTERGENERATIONAL
Our Intergenerational Program offers a variety of solutions for teachers and youth group leaders who are eager to help young people learn about the rewards of volunteering, and the value our older generation brings to our society.
Whether you have a kindergarten that wants to meet someone who grew up without electricity, or a group of grad school students who want to learn more about issues on aging, we will be happy to collaborate with you to design a fun and fulfilling experience. Find out more.
Learn how to sign up to be a volunteer
Latin School kindergarten teacher Lynn Pearson is instilling in her classroom a sense of respect, curiosity and ease with the elderly by taking advantage of what LBFE’s Intergenerational Program has to offer.
“It's wonderful for the children to meet people of another generation (who aren't family members.) They can talk to and ask questions of that person.” The learning and appreciation went both ways when Angie, aged 98, visited their classroom recently. One boy asked, “How did you have trains with no electricity?" so Angie told him about steam engines. In turn, the children enlightened Angie about Thomas the Train.
Angie connects with young people at Chicago’s Latin School.
Our wide-ranging Intergenerational Program sows the seeds of understanding between generations – and gives kids first-hand experience in volunteering as well.
As Lynn Pearson says, “Do it and be prepared for an inspiring experience!”