Volunteer Opportunities:
Make a Difference in Someone's Life
Enrich lives, share experiences, make new friends, and have fun!
At IOA, each of our services works to promote dignity and quality of life for older adults. Our volunteer program is central to this mission, creating meaningful links between IOA, the community, and the people we serve.
Volunteers at IOA make a difference by:
- Spending time playing games, talking with, and preparing meals for older adults in our day programs
- Helping a homebound senior through a lonely time as a phone counselor on our Friendship Line
- Serving as a translator, helping to create connection between people that speak different languages
- Providing end of life care and compassion through our Kol Haneshama program
- Helping IOA reach more of the community, serving as an auxiliary member, speaker, or support for fundraisers or community events
- Gaining professional expertise and hours towards licensing as a social worker, psychologist, or other medical profession
- Donating time as administrative support, serving as receptionist or making time to assist with mailings or other clerical needs
Volunteer Opportunities:
Please fill out the Volunteer Application, save the file, and email to jobs@ioaging.org, or print out the application and fax to 415.750.4179.
For more information about what volunteer opportunities are available contact, Darice Tillery at dtillery@ioaging.org or call (415) 750-4180 x121 for more information.
Updated September 25, 2007
Irene Swindells Center for Adult Day Services - General Support
A caring individual is needed to work directly with participants, assisting with activities, visiting with participants, and serving lunch. Swindells is an activity-based day program for people diagnosed with beginning to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Volunteer schedules are flexible. The program is open between the hours of 9:30 - 3:30, Monday through Friday.
Skills Required: Dependable, good organizational skills, ability to work independently, professional phone etiquette, welcoming personality, speak English clearly and communicate by phone, ability to multi task, computer skills.
Commitment: At least 4 hours per week, Monday through Friday.
Translators for MSSP & Assessment Programs
Volunteer translators are needed in Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Farsi. Experience with oral and/or written translation is highly desired.The Friendship Line - Senior Phone Companion
Make a real difference in someone's life. Join IOA's team of volunteer phone companions and counselors, talking to older adults, offering support and assistance by listening, acknowledging, supporting, or reassuring. Counselors receive sixteen hours of training, equipping them to offer crisis intervention, elder abuse reporting, information, and referral. Most importantly, volunteers help just by being kind, friendly, and compassionate.
Skills Required: Experience in counseling or social services is helpful, but not required.
Commitment: Volunteers cover one four-hour shift each week for a 6-month period. Some flexibility may be possible. For more information, please contact Susan Lindeman (slindeman@ioaging.org), Program Assistant, (415) 750-4180 x233.
Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center & Alzheimer's Day Center
- Program Volunteer
- Entertainer
- Lunch Hour Assistant
- Intergenerational Class Program
- Special Projects Volunteer
Volunteers will have an opportunity to work in either or both of IOA's adult day programs listed above (Adult Day Health Center or Alzheimer's Day Center), depending on skills, abilities, comfort, and preference. We will always try to be flexible in scheduling to ensure that the needs of the volunteers are met, as well as those of the programs. Our volunteers are important to us! We appreciate not only their hard work, but look forward to the enthusiasm, creativity and diversity that each one brings to the program. These programs also need bilingual (Russian/English) speaking volunteers.
For more information on working with these programs, please contact Tomasz Graczyk (tgraczyk@ioaging.org), Activities Director, Adult Day Services, at (415) 750-5330 x370.
Jewish Healing Center - Volunteer Opportunities
For more information or to receive an application, please visit www.jewishhealingcenter.org or contact Rabbi Jon Sommer, Volunteer Coordinator, by email (jsommer@ioaging.org) or by phone at (415) 750-4198.
Kol Haneshama: Jewish End of Life Care, in collaboration with the Zen Hospice Project.
BAJHC is currently seeking hospice volunteers interested in participating in the Kol Haneshama training.
Lead Services for Shabbat and Holy Days as a Volunteer
Senior and disabled Jewish adults in our community are in need of caring and concerned individuals to lead Shabbat and holiday services at residential facilities. Positions for volunteer service leaders are available in Marin, San Francisco, and on the Peninsula. The BAJHC trains volunteers in all aspects of service leadership--you need not be a Rabbi or Cantor, just a compassionate person who would like to help others maintain their connection to Judaism.