What can our volunteers do for you? 

A lot! Rides are by far our most frequent request. Our volunteer drivers are a lifesaver for members who no longer get behind the wheel themselves, taking them to the bank, the grocery, local health clinics, and out and about (on Island) for other errands and events. 

In general, volunteers will provide the kinds of short-term, casual services a good neighbor would.In addition to rides, our most frequent requests are for volunteers to help with

• Minor home repairs
• Household chores
• Yard work
• Technology assistance
• Social calls

But our volunteers love to help, so they have also:

• Hauled away sorted recycling 
• Installed grab bars before a member's hip surgery
• Assembled a desk from Ikea
• Kept a member company as she did the otherwise boring job of caning a chair 
• Worked alongside a member on garden jobs that were easier with two people.
• Watered the garden for a member recovering from an injury
• Carried boxes in from a member’s storage shed
• Visited a member while his family was out of town
• Picked up and delivered a sack of special cat food
• Provided some meals after a hospital stay
• Advised a member on downsizing for a new home
• Provided visitors with dogs to a member who could no longer have one
• Turned a mattress and moved some furniture
• Helped with a memoir
• Taught a member to Facetime her family

Among other things volunteer have to offer, they are willing to

• Read aloud
• Be an exercise buddy
• Suggest books to read
• Accompany you to an event
• Take a photo
• Help with arts and crafts
  

Are there limits to what volunteers can do?

Of course. In general, they can't help with anything that requires specialized skills or that would potentially present a danger to themselves or the member, or that pose significant liability to SW@Home. For example, they can't:

• Do personal care
• Handle financial information
• Do regular housework or yardwork
• Operate machinery like lawnmowers
• Carry heavy loads
• Climb tall ladders, although they can use a household stepladder on a flat surface
• Go up on roofs or under houses

Our volunteer services do not extend beyond the principal residence to second homes, community grounds, or additional property owned by the member.

Now that you know more about volunteer services, how can we make YOUR life easier? What can we do for YOU?