Why volunteer?

Gainesville, Florida, home to the state’s flagship university, is perceived by many as a “college town”.  Yet there is another side to Gainesville: a richly diverse community which includes wonderful small-town folks who have lived here for generations.  In their later years, some find themselves at one of the city’s nursing homes. Friends Across the Ages is the only program in Gainesville, and one of the few in the nation, which focuses entirely on volunteering in nursing homes.  We are dedicated to forming true friendships with socially isolated residents of nursing homes, to enrich their lives and ours.  Our primary focus is the recruitment, training, and support of one-to-one visitors.

So why volunteer with Friends Across the Ages?  Here are three good reasons:

1. You are needed. What you may find when you visit a nursing home is that the people there have one problem in common: loneliness. In only one hour a week, you can restore hope, dignity, and sense of belonging. You will be a connection to the “outside world”. Over time, you may become a friend and confidant.
2. You will benefit. Our friends at the nursing home enrich our lives in many ways—by sharing their stories of times and places we may not have experienced, by their appreciation of the little things, and, most of all, by offering their friendship and love.
3. You will be supported. For our local volunteers, we provide a structure in which you have the opportunity to meet with other volunteers regularly, and have the benefit of a mentor to help you get started. We also offer training material and tips through our website.  Wherever you are on volunteer journey, we will support you along the way.