Haywood Community Connections Volunteer Opportunities

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEADERS AND MEMBERS OPPORTUNITIES

Participants are being recruited to act as information resources, lead community efforts to address unmet needs, and to recruit and lead other community members to pool their talents and giftedness to meet the needs of one another at a grass roots level.

WORKGROUP VOLUNTEER LEADER AND PARTICIPANT OPPORTUNITIES

Advocacy Workgroup – Committed participants are being recruited to making a difference through advocating for diverse needs and legislative and governmental issues centered on the present and future.

Education Workgroup – Project participants and partners will be invited to attend and become trained, equipped and empowered to meet the needs of one another through a dynamic Senior Leadership Training conducted thru the collaborative efforts of Haywood Community College, Haywood County Extension Services, and the staff of Haywood Community Connections.

Fund Development Workgroup –Participants with business and/or fundraising expertise are being recruited to work together to create project sustainability during and after grant fund provision.

Marketing Workgroup – Committed participants with marketing expertise to promote project information and assistance programs such as 2-1-1, new project initiatives, existing services, and other project needs and successes are being recruited.

Mental Health Workgroup – Mental health workers and advocates are being recruited to participate with Healthy Haywood’s mental health task force to address and meet the emotional needs of older adults with emphasis on isolation and depression.

“Senior Friendly” Business Evaluation Team – Leaders and committed participants are being recruited to lead efforts to evaluate businesses throughout Haywood County to determine if they operate with “senior friendly” standards involving a certification process to honor compliant businesses.

PROJECT INITIATIVES VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Leaders and committed participants with experience or concerns to advance changes in the following areas are being recruited.

Elder Abuse - Task force participants, led by the Department of Social Services, will address options to decrease elder abuse and exploitation of older adults.

Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease – Task force members, led by Haywood County United Way, are addressing the safety, needs, and well being of caregivers and people suffering from Dementia.

Dental – Retired or practicing dentists are desperately needed to provide services to older adults without resources to pay for dental care through the direction of the Haywood County Health Department.

Housing – Task force participants, led by Mountain Projects Inc., will address options to increase desired housing options for new housing, housing renovation, and housing adaptation for older adults.

• Persons are also needed to assist in housing repairs, weatherizing, landscaping, and handicap adaptation (ramps, grab bars, etc.) for older adults.

Independent Living and Caregiver Support – Task force participants, led by the Area Agency on Aging, will address all options to allow Haywood County residents to live as independently as possible as they age. This group is also putting emphasis on the mental and physical well being of caregivers.

Information and Assistance – Volunteers are needed to help Haywood Community Connections Staff keep Haywood County aware of new and existing services to older adults. This might include assembling Senior Resource Directories, mail outs, and office assistance.

Social/Recreation  - Participants, led by Haywood County Parks and Recreation, will augment Haywood County programs by increasing adult social and recreational activities.

Transportation – This task force, led by Mountain Projects, Inc., will be working with other national model programs to develop a volunteer transportation program to meet the requests of people needing transportation during times that public transit service is not available, such as weekends, evenings, immediate but non emergency situations, and in rural locations where service is not available.

• Volunteer Drivers are needed to provide transportation to older adults without other means of transportation
• Transportation Coordinators are needed to accommodate needs with transportation availability.

Wellness – These participants, led by MedWest, will help advance existing and create new wellness programs offered to Haywood County older adults.

OTHER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:

• Meeting facilitators to initiate meetings that are respectful and encourage engagement of all participants.
• Meeting recorders to see that minutes are taken and distributed to participants and staff.
• Graphic Artist to design brochures, flyers and posters.
• Hospitality workers to cater, complete set up and clean up for meetings.

THANK YOU!!

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A wish list . . . As we continue to connect with communities, more ideas come our way. With limited staff we are searching for new ways to implement some of those ideas, thus this wish list. They may be something you have a particular interest in and see an opportunity to join us in turning dreams into reality in Haywood County. We are looking for someone to:

• Create a scrapbook for our project
• Assist with a ‘Grandparents Raising Grandchildren’ support group.
• Mobility Manager to help the volunteer transportation program.
• Members for a ‘Senior Friendly Community’ team to implement a program designed by the State to help certify businesses as safe for seniors.
• Assist in initiating a Senior TV Station and programming.
• Someone or group to create and manage a Senior Film Festival.
• Offer assistance with a Senior Job Fair.
• Additional churches to participate in our Drive-a-Friend program.
• A group to host a countywide birthday party for 95+ year olds.
• Create a Senior Shopping Program to help those who can’t physically manage.
• Serve on our Senior Housing Work Group.
• Garner senior discount information from local businesses.
• Distribute Senior Resource Directories to local churches, agencies, and businesses.
• Start and manage countywide ‘Listening Circles.’
• And finally, a really big wish . . . Someone or a group interested in establishing an ‘If Only’ program. This would require a donor that would grant funds to provide a ‘last wish’ for terminal older adults.

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The Haywood Community Partnership is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation®, www.rwjf.org through its Community Partnerships for Older Adults (CPFOA), www.cpfoa.org national initiative. Community Partnerships for Older Adults is a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help communities develop leadership, innovative solutions, and options to meet the needs of older adults over the long term