Its only been since June 7th that my mother passed, but I have no friends (3 died). Went to 2 senior centers, tried to have conversations, & volunteer for stuff. At the first place, people barely responded & did not smile. Second place had very nice people but the person in charge of volunteers said she didn't need me: (later I was told she didn't like my ideas & just didn't want me to come back). I feel terrible that these places have been so heartless. What do you think? I feel like I did something wrong, but was nice to everyone I met. Not sure what to make of it...thanks.
I do volunteering at the regional hospital, at the front information desk. When giving directions, if the person looks like a deer in headlights, I will walk them to their destination, and they couldn't thank me enough.
My desk mate is a lovely woman from India who had moved to the States decades ago. She was dealing with elderly in-laws visiting [a visit was over a year long] from the old country, so she and I were comparing notes... it was like free therapy for the both of us. Interesting, dealing with elders is the same everywhere in the world.
If hospitals isn't your thing, and that can be understandable.... maybe do something that is your passion which isn't related to assisting living or hospitals, etc. Here are other ideas:
Local fire/rescue houses. You don't need to know how to use a pick ax, there could be an opening for admin work.
Local library. I remember back 40 years ago, I use to shelve books.
National parks. Great if you love the outdoors, also they may need admin work.
Food panties. Help shelve the incoming items, help bag items, help in soup kitchen if you enjoying cooking.
Habitat for Humanity.
The American Red Cross.
Speak a second language? So many places need interpreters.
Love local history? See if any of the museums need volunteers.
Non-profit thrift shops always need volunteers.
I did not a soul in the group, which meant nobody knew about the ugly divorce I was going through. I had not made a quilt in 25 years, but wanted to start again. It was quite wonderful to be me, not a mum, exwife, etc. It was a good option for me because it had no links to my past life.
Tiger, we have discussed being raised by abusive parents, even once they have died the abuse remains. Please continue your therapy during the grieving process.
Give yourself more time to think about what you really like to do. Just because you are a Senior doesn’t mean you need to stick with just Seniors when seeking volunteer opportunities. My aunt always said the women at her center only cared about “hooking up” with the few men who were there and were pretty witchy to the other women. The woman who said she didn’t like your ideas, well...maybe next time wait until you’ve been there for a good while before sharing your ideas, as good as they may be.
Give thought to what you really like to do. Love animals? Volunteer at a shelter or with a rescue. Foster homeless animals if you’d care to. Love kids? Find a school program in your area who looks for Seniors to come read to the children. Want to make a difference but still be with a group? Our area has a group of Seniors who run a thrift shop for low income people. It includes a cafeteria that serves meals to them.
There are other things to do besides Senior Centers. Good luck. Hope you find something you love to do.
That said, since you found the people at the second senior center to be very nice, why not go back there? You don't have to volunteer -- you could just attend activities and play cards or whatever.
I don't know what you mean when you say the volunteer coordinator "didn't like my ideas". Were you suggesting improvements? (Forgive me if my guess is incorrect.) If so, she may not feel she knows you well enough, or that you know the jobs well enough to suggest something before you begin volunteering. Or she (he) may just be very threatened about an outsider suggesting something new. Regardless, you could go back and just offer to volunteer wherever you are needed.
If the volunteer coordinator doesn't want you now, just go to the activities and skip volunteering. The important thing is to keep going back and give it some time (two or three months? more?) before you evaluate how things are going.
Being the new kid on the block usually means you have to be the easygoing one (I don't mean you have to bend to peer pressure or anything that conflicts with your values). Just sort of "fit in" with the established group and be friendly, but don't expect people to warm up too quickly. Go and have fun, chat with a few people and leave it at that for a bit. You don't want to seem needy (even if you FEEL needy right now).
After a while, you may find someone who is fun and seems to be a potential friend. Consider asking him/her to meet up at the center one time for a particular lecture, or games, or whatever. Try not to feel rejected if that person isn't receptive. Wait a bit until you find someone else who is friendly and try again. Keep at it.
Give it (and yourself, as you are so recently bereaved) time.
Right now I'm supervising alternate weekend parental visitation for a divorcing couple with young children. One spouse has a drug problem but is a lovely person when sober. I pick up the kids from their home with the custodial parent and meet the non-custodial parent at some agreed upon venue (like a park), make sure the parent appears sober, watch the kids play for a couple of hours, then usually transport them to Dairy Queen for a snack with their parent before taking them home. This afternoon the kids went wading in a stream running through a local park and fed some bread to the ducks there.
Some volunteer work can count as employment on a resume. There are some programs available that pay you as a Senior citizen or someone re-entering the work force. I am an 85 year old woman and they still need people like me.
Don't give up and please do give yourself some time to grieve. You not only lost your parent, you lost your job. No wonder you feel adrift. ((hugs))
I am a strong advocate of volunteering. I volunteer with three different organizations throughout the year as well as at various weekend events. I also go to university full time and work 10 hours a week. During Tax season I am volunteering up 15-20 hours a week. Tax season and final exams fall into the same month.
Part of the abuse I suffered as a child was to be told I was unworthy of affection, caring or love unless I was doing something for others, or doing house work. Yup, the crazy amount of volunteering I do, is directly linked to the abuse I suffered as a child. The abuse continued into my marriage with me working 6 days a week, while my ex, 'worked' from home, for 4.5 of the last 6 years of our marriage.
It has been a challenge to allow myself the freedom to do what I want, when I want, how long I want etc. I am in my 50's learning who I am. Joining the quilting group was the beginning of the discovery.
So Tiger, please when looking at how to spend your time, give some thought to what you would like to do, not how you can serve others. You have had a lifetime of doing the bidding of others.
You can go to the seniors centre and not volunteer, just enjoy the activities. You can pick up a hobby, take a class, learn a new skill.
Going back to university was the best thing I ever could have done. I have met people from all over the world, I have made some incredible friendships with people younger than me.
The quilting group has allowed me to explore my creative side, and this spring I went on a trip from BC to Missouri to meet some quilting stars. It was an incredible 9000km road trip and I had a wonderful time.
I am still learning about what I enjoy, what I want to incorporate into my life moving forward.
Tiger, this is your time to shine, not serve.
I'm not the type to volunteer at a senior center. Often seems too clicky to me, but they work well for others and they sometimes sponsor day trips by bus.
You will find something...lots of opportunities.