Hearing a Relieved Elder Makes My Day

As we age, handling everyday chores can be a bit more challenging. And these cold months can bring on extra woes. I live in the Twin Cities, but my mother lives in greater Minnesota. Lucky for me, I have siblings who can help my Mom with things like shoveling the walk. Not every elder has someone nearby who can help with seasonal chores.

This is the time of year when we match elder homeowners with volunteers who will help keep their sidewalks and driveways cleared during the winter. As I met with a group of snow shoveling volunteers recently, the reasons people gave for wanting to volunteer were as varied as the people themselves. One middle-aged man told me he wanted to help someone here because distance keeps him from helping his own father in Grand Rapids. A family (parents and young teens) told me it was important to them to do something good together.

Wonderful relationships often form between volunteers and the people they serve. We hear heartwarming stories all the time. For me, my heart is warmed when I can call an elder who has requested our help during the winter to tell them we have a volunteer lined up to help. The joy and relief in their voice makes my day!

Barb Tiggemann, DARTS Volunteer Manager