Our volunteers do an amazing job of helping our members stay connected, engaged, and supported in our community. Have you ever wondered how it all works? You might be surprised with how much goes on behind the scenes to make these important connections.

Vetted and Trained Volunteers – It all starts with recruiting and training good volunteers. Heather Hill, LICSW, NNV’s Volunteer and Member Services Coordinator communicates with each prospective volunteer before inviting them to a mandatory 90-minute orientation designed to prepare volunteers for their new role and help them understand the needs and contributions of older adults. Following orientation, we perform a criminal and motor vehicle background check on all volunteers before they work with our members. Ongoing training is offered throughout the year so our volunteers are always prepared to help.

Member Requests – All members call the office to make a service request. This is important to us because it allows our staff the chance to connect with our members.  Every call is an opportunity for us to see how our members are doing and talk about whatever is on their mind. Our team gets great satisfaction from helping a member with something beyond what they have called for, and we especially enjoy talking to members about the things that are meaningful to them – birthday parties, recent visits with loved ones, and whatever is on their mind. For us, a call for a service request is much more than a call for volunteer help!

Proactive Response – Our volunteers are trained to recognize signs of concern and to contact the office when those concerns arise. Often the call from our volunteers is the first sign that our members need more help.  Our experienced team listens to our concerned volunteers and then follows up with our members to learn more about how they are managing and offer support.  When members needs are beyond the scope of volunteer services, our Social Work Case Manager, Barbara Scott is called in to make an evaluation and coordinate services. This rapid response is often critical to preventing a major crisis for our members.

We are so grateful to our wonderful volunteers who generously share their time and talents with NNV!  If you are like me and appreciate the benefits of building a generous, supportive, and inclusive community, please consider making a gift to NNV.  Now through the end of the year, enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that your fully-tax deductible donation will be matched by the NNV Board, up to $30,000!  Click here to learn more and to donate.