The elderly are often the people most in need of your help. Spending time with them in any capacity, whether it's visiting them on a one-time or weekly basis, delivering food, helping them create art projects, or any other activity has immense benefits for you, your family, and the elderly themselves. For more information on why befriending the elderly is such an important way to volunteer as a family, click here.

• Be a friendly visitor -- often the personal interactions are the most meaningful!
• Have a “senior” prom at a nursing home
• Have a talent show or musical program for residents at a nursing home
• Adopt a Grandparent
• Look at pictures and share funny stories
• Deliver meals for meals on wheels
• Make emergency storm packs for elderly in times of need
• Organize a Bingo evening
• Organize a barbecue
• Perform seasonal yard work including weeding, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and shoveling snow for nursing homes
• Give manicures and pedicures
• Have puppet shows
• Plant flowers
• Make decorations for rooms -- could make flowers out of tissue paper or construction paper to brighten up a room or attach to wheelchairs or beds
• Clip coupons for seniors -- often they are on a tight budget
• Record and write down stories and memories about his/her life
• Label pictures to preserve memories of people and places (using acid-free materials)
• Make cards or write letters for a special older friend
• Play board games with nursing home residents
• Perform a play for residents
• Read a book or the newspaper
• Write letters or send email to their families
• Help him/her run errands
• Bring him/her to a medical appointment
• Conduct small home repairs
• Make lap blankets
• Bring your pet to visit
• Make a cake and bring a card on his/her birthday

Find a volunteer opportunity in your community

Do you have another idea for us? Let us know! Send an email here.

Have you had a great (or perhaps not so good!) volunteering experience with your family that you would like to share? Fill out our volunteer reflection form, and we might showcase your experience and reflections on our website!