Volunteer programs for older adults

With funding through the Minnesota Board on Aging, Minnesota funds volunteer programs for older adults that utilize the skills of older volunteers who want to serve their communities. Volunteers make a positive impact on critical human and social needs of older people throughout Minnesota. Volunteers commit their time to address community needs, including academic tutoring and mentoring, elderly care, transportation, tax assistance, meal delivery, disaster relief and more.

AmeriCorps Seniors programs are funded nationally by the Corporation for National Community Services (CNCS). Minnesota is one of only seven states that provide supportive dollars from their state unit on aging to help older people age in the community.

Critical to success in Minnesota, each of the programs has a contract or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with stations throughout the state that help manage and deploy the work of the volunteers. Each station trains volunteers and tracks the number of volunteers, hours served and Minnesotans receiving services.

Three programs make up the volunteer programs for older adults:

• Foster Grandparents
• Retired Volunteer Senior Program
• Senior Companion