Volunteer - FAQ
Following are some questions that we sometimes receive about volunteering in our program:
If you’re not available at the same time each week, then the virtual visits are not a good choice for you. You might want to volunteer for some of our other roles that don’t require you to work at the same time every week.
The virtual visits are not intended to be done as an internship or practicum. Volunteers only participate for one hour each week. Also, the visits should not be used as an opportunity to apply lessons taught in the classroom. They are intended to build intergenerational relationships only.
We will provide you with documentation of your hours, but don’t ask every week.
We require a commitment from our volunteers of 16 weeks on a call with a senior. That does not mean 16 weeks from when you sign up, but 16 weeks from when you start your visits.
We have new seniors joining our program all the time, and each senior or their caregiver selects the time that they want to have their visit. The length of time that it takes to get on a call will depend on how flexible you are, and how attentive you are to the announcement of new call times. All volunteers are provided with access to an app that immediately notifies them of open call times, but the open slots are often taken very quickly.
We have seniors in the program from all around the USA.
The virtual visits vary in length. Some of our seniors have shorter attention spans, so they may not want to talk for a full hour. Volunteers will receive one hour of community service credit, even if the senior leaves early.
We have new seniors joining all the time, and we run new training sessions every 6-10 days, so we encourage you to join. Please remember that it may take some time for your schedule to align with our training sessions, so you’re better off joining sooner rather than later.
We understand that students’ schedules will change. Please notify us as soon as you learn of a change to your schedule, so we can make arrangements to smoothly transition you off of your call and so you can say goodbye to the senior. Under the right circumstances, we may be able to change the time of the senior’s weekly call to accommodate new schedules. Otherwise, you’ll need to switch to a different call to fulfill your 16-week commitment.
