Improving Lives Through Volunteerism

 


AMERICORPS SENIORS

SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM

 


Our AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion 
Program has a new team member!


Please welcome our new Public Ally, Sofia!

Volunteers for Community Impact is excited to welcome Sofia, a Public Ally serving as our Volunteer Coordinator & Program Support Specialist for our Senior Companion Program!


Public Allies is an AmeriCorps program that places members with a local non-profit for a 10-month apprenticeship in which the Ally helps to build the capacity of their partner organization by expanding and improving existing programs. Sofia will be working with our Senior Companion Program to create more Spanish language materials, improve our volunteer database, and collect stories from our volunteers to help publicize the program.


If you are a Senior Companion volunteer, make sure to say hello to our new Public Ally at our next Inservice where she will be giving a short presentation on Public Allies and her role with the Senior Companion Program. 


Donate items you already have!

Your Generosity, Their Necessity


Small Things. Big Difference.

Shop our Amazon Wish List and send a little 
independence directly to a senior in need.



You’ve heard us ask for donated items before, and we are grateful for every contribution our community has made. But we know that digging through closets isn’t always easy. So, we’re trying something new.


We’ve created an Amazon Wish List filled with specific, affordable items that our Senior Companion Volunteers and clients need right now. Every item has been chosen because it makes a real, everyday difference, helping seniors stay safe, comfortable, and independent in their own homes. And most items cost less than $12.


Here are two stories that say it all:

One of our clients, who has low vision, relies on a magnifying glass to read his important papers, medication bottles, and daily mail. When his broke, something as simple as reading a prescription label became a serious challenge. A VCI staff member happened to have an extra one at home, and that magnifying glass is now in the hands of someone who truly needs it. A handheld magnifier on our wish list could be that lifeline for the 
next person.



Another client couldn’t bend down due to limited mobility, which meant he couldn’t reach the food on the bottom shelf of his refrigerator. When he became a client, his volunteer found that the food had spoiled. Together, they cleaned it out, but the situation could have been avoided entirely. With a grabber tool, one of the items on our wish list, he could have retrieved that food himself, safely, before it was too late. These aren’t luxuries. They are the tools that make independent living possible, one day at a time.


What’s on the list?

Here’s a glimpse at the kinds of items we need, practical tools for everyday life:

  • Grabber tools: for seniors who can’t safely bend or reach overhead
  • Jar, bottle, & key openers: specially designed for arthritic or weak hands
  • Non-slip bathmats & shower scrubbers: for safer, more independent bathing
  • Motion-sensor night lights: to illuminate hallways and bathrooms after dark
  • Handheld magnifiers: to help those with low vision read mail, labels, & prescriptions
  • Long-handled shoehorns: so bending down to put on shoes is no longer a struggle
  • Car door assist handles: making getting in and out of vehicles safer
  • Portable pill pack openers: for easier medication management on the go
  • Large-print puzzle booklets: to keep minds sharp and spirits bright
  • Back scratchers: a simple comfort when reaching is difficult


With our wish list, there’s no digging through closets, no drop-off required. Just visit the list, choose an item that speaks to you, and Amazon ships it straight to us. It truly is that simple, and that meaningful.


All 13 items are under $20. Shop our wish list here: 

View our Donation Wish List on Amazon


Thank you for continuing to show up for our seniors, and for our incredible volunteers who serve them every day. Whether this is your first donation or your tenth, know that it is seen, it is felt, and it matters more than you know.



📣Would you like to support 
our volunteers with a meal?


Every two months, our Senior Companion volunteers come together for a group gathering where we provide updated training, share important program information, and celebrate the incredible work they do for our clients and community. It's a wonderful time of connection, learning, and encouragement for a group of people who truly give their hearts to this program.

Here's how you can be part of it.


We are looking for guest speakers to provide relevant training on services and benefits to help our senior volunteers and the clients they serve. Donations of breakfast, lunch, and door prizes are always welcome, but not required. These trainings will help our volunteers to continue growing their skills as Senior Companions while connecting your organization with a dedicated and engaged audience.


Sponsorship opportunities are available every two months, and our Senior Companion Program Manager would love to talk with you about the details.

Interested in sponsoring? Let's connect! Sharon Smith, Senior Companion Program Manager 📧 ssmith@vcifl.org


We are grateful for every community partner who helps us support the volunteers who make this program possible. Thank you! 💙





Sharon Smith -

Senior Companion Program Manager

EMAIL - ssmith@vcifl.org

Visit our Senior Companion Program webpage!

License Number: 239624

 
From our Staff, Board of Directors, &
Volunteers here at VCI, THANK YOU!

We could not make such an impact
within our community without your support.
We appreciate YOU!
Funded in part or in whole by:
3545 Lake Breeze Drive,
Orlando, FL 32808
Phone - 407.298.4180
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