Friendship Center seeks volunteers

This release comes from The Friendship Center:
Everyday, somewhere in our community, approximately 50 Friendship Center volunteers are serving the needs of the senior population of Montgomery County.
Whether serving a hot noon day meal in one of the six congregate activity centers in all corners of the county, providing a meal to seniors isolated in their own home, or driving a bus full of our older neighbors on an outing to a museum or to see the Astros play baseball, these volunteers help enrich the lives of senior adults in numerous ways.
But even with over 300 volunteers actively providing their services each and every year, The Friendship Center is in desperate need of additional volunteers, especially in its Meals on Wheels program and for its telephone reassurance program.
There is no way that our agency could function without our volunteers," noted Carmen Pellettieri, volunteer program manager. Our volunteers provide services equivalent to 40 full-time staff each and every month. And they do it with a warmth and compassion that can't be matched in the private sector."
However, in the past three years, the number of seniors on the Meals on Wheels program has doubled, and the need for volunteers to deliver meals in all areas of the county is greater than ever before. Additionally, the agency uses a telephone reassurance program to monitor the well-being of home-bound seniors who are in the more rural areas of the county and only receive weekly delivery of their meals.
To prepare volunteers for their various assignments, The Friendship Center utilizes a volunteer training program to provide the volunteer with basic information on aging issues as well as tips on working with seniors in the various volunteer capacities that they might choose. Currently volunteer trainings are scheduled twice a month, once in Conroe and once in The Woodlands. Each two-hour session begins at 1 p.m. Volunteers also receive a manual for private study and later reference.
We can be very flexible in scheduling our volunteers," noted Pellettieri. They can choose a weekly shift, or they can elect to work one shift every two weeks. Many volunteers team up with a partner and switch off weeks."
Pellettieri also noted that sometimes companies will allow their employees to form teams to make MOW deliveries over their lunch hour.
Our volunteers love what they do. They receive so much self-fulfillment from their volunteer assignment. They know that the seniors assigned to them really need their help, and look forward to seeing them each week."
For more information on The Friendship Center's volunteer program, contact Pellettieri at 936-441-2982 x43 or cpellettieri@thefriendshipcenter.com.
Services offered by The Friendship Center include transportation to medical appointments, essential shopping and other errands; Meals On Wheels, including the newest pet food assistance project for homebound seniors; congregate dining daily in one of six activity centers in the county; recreational and educational activities; counseling and case management; and other activities such as gas vouchers and assistance from a food pantry, or assistance with the construction of a wheelchair ramp.
The Friendship Center is a United Way agency funded in part by a grant from the Community Development Block Grant Program of Montgomery County. For more information, visit the website at www.thefriendshipcenter.com.