Lutheran Social Service of MN Senior Corps SEMN

Senior Corps Programs

Through grants and other resources—including the energy and efforts of citizens age 55 and over—Senior Corps helps meet the needs and challenges of America’s communities. Grants administered through Senior Corps provide funding for the following programs:

Senior Companions are volunteers age 55 and over who make a difference by providing assistance and friendship to adults who have difficulty with daily living tasks, such as shopping or paying bills. We help these adults remain independent in their homes instead of having to move to more costly institutional care. Senior Companions give families or professional caregivers a much needed time off from their duties, run errands, and often provide friendship for their clients.

Foster Grandparents are role models, mentors, and friends to children with exceptional needs. The program provides a way for volunteers age 55 and over to stay active by serving children and youth in their communities.

Senior Companions offer service to others to help them maintain the highest level of dignity and independence. Like our Neighbor to Neighbor Companions, Senior Companion volunteers provide weekly visits, limited transportation, and assistance with daily activities. The program, its most simple form, allows Senior Companions to volunteer as friends who offer love and support to their neighbors. These volunteers help fight social isolation that often accompanies us as we age.

Senior Companions must be age 55+. They receive the following benefits:

• A non-taxable stipend of $3.00 per hour (minimum of 10 hours of service per week to qualify).
• Transportation reimbursement
• On-going training opportunities
• Recognition
• Accident and liability insurance while volunteering
• Meal allowance when meeting required criteria
• Meeting new people, learning new things and having the satisfaction of helping others

Learn more here: http://www.lssmn.org/oa/seniorcompanion/

Neighbor to Neighbor Companion Volunteers:

 Our new Neighbor to Neighbor program offers volunteers (age 18+) an opportunity to provide support to their neighbors. Neighbor to Neighbor Companions provide flexible weekly visits, limited transportation to appointments and errands, and assistance with daily activities. This new program is modeled on our successful Senior Companion program but is free of some of the restrictions that govern that program. This flexible program includes the ability to serve just one person for a few hours a week. Volunteers receive the following benefits:

• A monthly taxable stipend of $50 for 1 client; $100 for 2+ clients
• Mileage reimbursement
• Ongoing training opportunities
• Accident and liability coverage while volunteering
• Recognition events

Learn more here: http://www.lssmn.org/neighbortoneighbor/companions/

Foster Grandparents – Volunteers ages 55+ work in schools and daycares providing mentorship, reading assistance and other tutoring for children of all ages.

• A non-taxable stipend of $3.00 per hour (minimum of 10 hours of service per week to qualify).
• Transportation reimbursement
• On-going training opportunities
• Recognition
• Accident and liability insurance while volunteering

Learn more here: http://www.lssmn.org/oa/fostergrandparents/