Sam has been a FamilyMeans respite volunteer for 8+ years and has provided over 5,000 hours of outstanding service. Before COVID, he generally spent time with 4 families each week in addition to providing fun at Day Out through his presentations, games, impersonations of famous singers, and unique way of making strong connections with people. Sam brings joy to so many people! Thank you!
Hear Sam’s Story
Within a year or so after I retired I was still having a great time with all the activities I now had time to do. Travel, cabin life, golf, hunting, fishing, grandkids, dancing, bowling, and just about anything I wanted to do. But, something was missing… purpose. Volunteering with FamilyMeans has given me this ‘purpose’.
As the years piled up I found other benefits to volunteering that include: improved self-esteem, learning new skills, training provided on our aging generation, reduced stress, mental health benefits, physical health improvements, self-confidence, networking with some great volunteers, and before covid - activities and training always included great food and treats.
Currently I've found my main reason for volunteering is simply this… 'thank you'.
A caregiver’s life is very tough, and they so appreciate any help they can get. So it's that sincere 'thank you' we get from that caregiver after spending some time with their family member so they can do everyday things like: run to the store, have some much needed alone time, attend to their own medical needs, meet some friends, or even just take a break.
We do so little, but it's that passionate ’thank you' we get from those caregivers that makes us realize, we really do make a difference...
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