Senior Appreciation Celebration Honors Volunteers

Submitted by Chris Clark
on April 23, 2015
- 7:44 pm

Senior volunteers were honored Friday for the more than 78,370 hours they donated in 2014, which is equal to approximately $1,619,907 worth of service. Courtesy photo

Seniors are treated to a buffet at Friday’s event. Courtesy photo

LAVA News:

For more than 40 years, the senior centers in Los Alamos and White Rock have had this service to help seniors (age 55+) find volunteer work that is just right for them.

Whether it’s mentoring children in schools, being Lunch Buddies through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, working at the senior centers answering phones or serving lunches or greeting visitors to the Historical Museum and visitors’ centers, or helping at the Los Alamos Medical Center or helping at community events like races, the county fair and fundraisers – they make things happen.

Friday the Los Alamos Volunteer Association (LAVA) formerly known as RSVP, put on its annual appreciation celebration for its senior volunteers with food and dancing to the music of “My Blue Heaven.” Door prizes were given out, donated by CB FOX, Starbucks and Smith’s. Los Alamos National Bank printed out the programs. Home Instead partnered with LAVA by doing the postcard invitations and a DVD showing how “Volunteers are changing the face of aging”.

They also presented LAVA with a beautiful plaque saluting all the volunteers and their contribution of more than 78,370 hours they donated in 2014, which is equal to approximately $1,619,907 worth of service! Good job volunteers!

Aging doesn’t have to have a negative connotation. Volunteering certainly can guard against boredom, loneliness and uselessness that aging might bring on. Volunteering is important to individuals, they benefit physically, mentally and emotionally by helping others. Nonprofit organizations appreciate the free help and support. Everyone benefits.

Anyone over the age of 55 interested in suggestions on where to volunteer in the community is invited to drop by the LAVA office at the Betty Ehart Senior Center next to the library or call Irene Powell or Kay Ingram at 505.662.8923.