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Answers from 211's Senior Assistance Line
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Dear SAL,
I retired five months ago when I turned 65. I took a few trips and had a wonderful time. Now I have more time for activities I enjoy, and would like to do some volunteering. I have never volunteered before and am having a difficult time figuring out where to start. Do you have any suggestions?
Dear Time-
First, I want to congratulate you on your retirement and compliment you for having volunteer work as one of your top priorities.
There are many non-profits in Nevada County and it can be daunting to select from the many worthy organizations. Accept that you will probably try a few before you settle on the one (or several) you want to focus on and this may make the task easier. Think of it as clothes shopping - you will probably need to try on a few outfits to find the best fit for you. And it is possible you will decide to move to another agency at some point as you learn about other interesting community opportunities.
What activities give you satisfaction? Do you yearn to give service to specific populations, such as seniors, children, teens, people with disabilities, or some other demographic? Do you like working with animals, teaching people, cooking meals, helping people who are in need of assistance, or contributing some other talent? Answering these questions will help you narrow your focus.
Once you have determined your interests, you may wish to contact specific agencies directly to ask about volunteer opportunities. If you have a passion for working with animals, there's Scooter's Pals, AnimalSave, Sammie's Friends, Rescue for Pet Sake, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, and Nevada County Pets of the Homeless, to name a few. Our 211 specialists would be happy to help you identify local organizations that work within your chosen field of interest.
Another option is to contact RSVP, the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Nevada County, to discuss your interests and review their current volunteer listings. RSVP recruits volunteers 55 years of age and older and places them in volunteer opportunities that match their skills and interests. Volunteers choose how and where they want to serve as well as the number of weekly hours desired.
A whole world of volunteer opportunities awaits your exploration! I wish you the best of luck.
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Ask SAL is a monthly column that gives our readers a chance to ask us questions about resources for seniors in Nevada County. If you have a question for SAL, email us at alicej@ns-pa.org.
The Senior Assistance Line is funded by:
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NEO Youth Center Celebrates Anniversary
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Community is Invited to March 31st Open House
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This month marks the one-year anniversary of the
NEO Youth Center, the county's one and only free drop-in center for youth ages 11 to 18. On Thursday, March 31st, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, NEO is swinging its doors wide open and inviting the whole community to come out and celebrate.
The community mixer and celebration, which NEO is organizing in collaboration with the Chambers of Commerce for Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Penn Valley, will include an open house, live musical performances by local youth, and food provided by Smiley Guys Smokehouse. Community-members of all ages are invited to come out for the fun.
Since opening its doors in March of 2015, the NEO Youth
 Center has had over 2000 visits from local teens and pre-teens and currently serves over 200 active members who take advantage of the center's many activities. An average of 19 youth per day come to hang out with friends, meet new people, play ping pong, pool, foosball, board games, and video games, do crafts, get homework help, and play music. On some days, as many as 45 youth attend the center's programs. For many young people, like Mary V., age 17, "Coming to NEO is like getting a warm cozy hug!"
NEO has come a long way since its inception. What started as a drug prevention program in 2008 quickly evolved to "go beyond traditional substance abuse prevention efforts" to actively engage young people to "make healthy choices through positive alternative activities," according to the group's website.
Before opening its youth center, NEO (which stands for New Events and Opportunities) was hosting youth-oriented events each year throughout western Nevada County as a pop-up teen center.
The 2015 opening of the youth center gave young people a place to call their own in the community, a venue for concerts, workshops, and game nights as well as for separate drop-in hours for junior high and high school students. According to one NEO Youth Center attendee, Madison H., age 17, "The Youth Center is like a home and the people here are like my family."
For more information about NEO or their Youth Center's One-Year Anniversary Celebration, visit their website or contact them by phone at 470-3869.
Details:
What: NEO Youth Center One-Year Anniversary Celebration
When: Thursday, March 31st, 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: NEO Youth Center
139 Joerschke Drive, Grass Valley
Cost: Free!
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Helping Family Caregivers Say "Yes I Can!"
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Caregiver Empowerment Series Starts April 11th
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The "Yes I Can!" Caregiver Empowerment Series is back to
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Click on the above image to download a PDF of the full schedule. |
provide education and support for family caregivers.
Sponsored by Sierra Memorial Hospital Foundation's Alzheimer's Outreach Project, the 7-week series includes information on topics such as:
- Caregiver self-care
- Communication
- Healing
- Nutrition and falls prevention
- Community resources
- Body mechanics
- Advanced planning
The classes are specifically targeted to non-professional caregivers. Care will be provided for loved ones during the class by request.
Details:
What: "Yes I Can!" Caregiver Empowerment Series
When:
Mondays, April 11-May 23, 9 am to 12 pm
Where: Eskaton Village, 49er Lounge
625 Eskaton Circle, Grass Valley
Cost: Free for family caregivers. Call Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center at 1-800-635-0220 to register.
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Meet Your Match Job Fair is April 13th
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A Great Opportunity to Meet Employers Face-to-Face
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Looking for a job? Know someone who is? The Meet Your Match Job Fair on April 13th is a great chance to meet with employers in the area who are looking for qualified employees now. Meet with employers face-to-face and show them you are the right person for the job. The job fair will include representatives from:
- Eskaton Village
- Briarpatch
- Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
- Charis
- Sierra College
- The Union
- Suddenlink
- Smarter Broadband
- Atria Senior Living
- And more!
Job seekers should dress for success and bring several copies of their resume. There is no charge to attend.
The Nevada County Business and Career Network (previously known as the One Stop) will offer three workshops to help participants prepare for the job fair. These FREE workshops, focusing on interviewing skills, resume building, and job searching will be held from 2 to 4 pm on March 21, 24 and 29 at the One Stop office at 988 McCourtney Drive in Grass Valley. For information on the workshops or to register, call the One Stop office at 265-7088.
Employers who are interested in participating in the Job Fair should call the Union newspaper at 477-4221.
Details:
What: Meet Your Match Job Fair
When:
Wednesday, April 13,10 am to 2 pm
Where:
Grass Valley Veterans Hall
255 South Auburn Street, Grass Valley
Cost: Free!
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Volunteers Needed for 211
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Play a Key Role in Improving Our Senior Assistance Line
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211 is seeking volunteers to conduct over-the-phone caller satisfaction surveys. Play a key role in improving 211's Senior Assistance Line by gathering customer feedback.
We are looking for adults who have strong interpersonal skills, great communication skills, and the ability to keep accurate written records. Knowledge of basic phone etiquette is required.
No computer skills are necessary.
We are looking for someone to work up to 4 hours per week during business hours at the 211 office in Grass Valley.
Check out our
website for more information or to download a volunteer application.Contact Call Center Manager Alice Johnson at 274-5601 for questions about the position.
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The February 2016 Report Is Now Available
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211 answered 1065 calls and instant messages in the month of
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Click on the above image to download a PDF of the report. |
February, 438 of which were for AARP tax appointments. Many of these were first-time callers to 211.
Additionally, our website handled over 1500 searches for apartments and mobile homes in February.
See the full report here.
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