The holiday season is the time to emphasize giving back to others in need. We celebrate by giving toys to tots and children, food to the hungry, donating to charities, and helping our elderly avoid loneliness and isolation. The holiday season opens hearts, our calendars, and our wallets. And more importantly, the local community’s older adults need our attention.

That’s why SeniorCare.com created the Evergreen holiday volunteer guide. We know that people are busy, especially this time of year, and need a quick reference and resource to turn to when giving. 

When making the holiday shopping list, be sure to add one or two older adults in need. Here are the reasons why you want to do that:   

• Close to 28% or 12.1 million seniors live alone.

• 21% of those over 65 do not drive, and this remains the primary reason people isolate.

• Hunger threatens over 9 million older adults.

• 1 million homebound seniors are malnourished.

• The suicide rate for older Americans is increasing.

• 87% of Americans receive unpaid care at home from family and friends.

The numbers are frightening. How can so many older adults be stranded and hungry in one of the richest countries in the world? They live alone, care for themselves, or depend on a family member for help, and often are short on food. It seems impossible that a short decade or two ago, these same folks were contributing to society and working very hard. Now, older age has left them on their own and fending for themselves. 

If you have trouble thinking of ways to help out, check out the guide. In there, you will find suggestions that spark the urge to give—today, it offers Thanksgiving ideas, and in a short time, the guide will include Christmas too.

• Help with house chores

• Rake leaves or other yard work

• Set up their Holiday decoration

• Offer a ride

• Take them to lunch or a movie

• Provide respite for the family – spend time with their loved one

• Contribute time at the local senior center or residential care facility

• Be a companion

When using the holiday guide, you’ll have a variety of volunteer options. Now is the season for giving, connecting with family, sharing meals, and making special memories. However, that's not the experience of the elderly; their holidays are spent alone. They don't have others around who can create moments of joy and goodness. It's the volunteers in the local community that give back and increase the elderly's well-being plus form new friendships.