Volunteers needed at senior centers

City of Berkeley sent this bulletin at 12/30/2022 10:33 AM PST

December 30, 2022

SERVICES. RESOURCES. COMMUNITY.

News from the City of Berkeley

Volunteers needed at senior centers

Give back to the community. Make new friends and engage meaningfully with seniors. Gain job experience and professional references, fulfill community service hours.

Come out and volunteer at our senior centers to help enrich the lives of our elders — and your own.

Support the Senior Centers when you sign up for various shifts that fit your schedule and interests.

Connect with members when you do wellness checks from the front desk, send outreach mailers or make greeting cards for special projects, teach a course in person or online, decorate for events, and more.

Do you have an idea for a way to share your unique skills at the centers to enrich the experience of seniors? We want to hear it.

Your support as a volunteer helps keep vital Aging Services programs accessible for members. Sign up to volunteer by calling or emailing:

Matthew at North Berkeley Senior Center, (510) 981-5193; mmiu@cityofberkeley.info
Karen at South Berkeley Senior Center, (510) 981-5202; kharris@cityofberkeley.info

Make an impact and sign up for our most needed positions

We have a range of volunteer opportunities at a variety of times.

General office support can help with everything from senior outreach efforts and special projects like prepping envelopes for transport taxi scripts to serving coffee and pastries at the coffee bar. Front desk volunteers guide members when they enter. Chaperones help keep the group together during field trips or check in with errand trips.

Provide a homey and clean dining room and kitchen during the congregate meals, and prep and distribute ‘grab and go’ meals for those unable to eat at the center. Support the prep and distribution for programs like Mercy Brown Bag or Meals on Wheels.

Whatever you’re willing to teach, we’d like to know. When you’re ready to teach a course, reach out to us with your availability, and staff will let you know if that time slot is open. Equipment like sound or laptops are available for course use.

Hours for a volunteer shift happen during the following times:

South Berkeley Senior Center General Shifts: Monday - Thursday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
North Berkeley Senior Center General Shifts: Monday, Wednesday - Friday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Grab & Go, South Berkeley Senior Center: Tuesdays, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Mercy Brown Bag, South Berkeley Senior Center: 1st & 3rd Fridays, 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Berkeley residents 18 and over are eligible to volunteer. We will ask you to fill out a volunteer application form and give consent for us to run a background check.

Once those steps are complete, we will coordinate a day for you to start and supply all the training you need. Volunteers can sign up for what amount of time works best for them.

About the Berkeley Senior Centers

Membership is free for seniors at both of the centers. It includes access to classes, services, and social opportunities.

Participants provide basic registration information and proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Some programs require seniors to present an ID for age verification.

North Berkeley Senior Center
Monday, Wednesday - Friday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
1901 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 981-5190

Judge Henry J. Ramsey Senior Center
Monday - Thursday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
2939 Ellis Street, Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 981-5170

The Aging Services Division operates Berkeley’s Senior Centers in Health, Housing, and Community Services department. Call the centers directly or email seniors@cityofberkeley.info with any questions.

By volunteering for the Senior Centers, you help make City services more accessible and nurture a space where anyone in Berkeley’s senior population can feel welcome.

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Read more at berkeleyca.gov.

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Use vaccines or boosters that strongly protect you against severe cases of flu or COVID-19. If you get sick, medications are available to protect you from each of those two illnesses.

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