Seniors make meaningful connections through volunteering

In a basement room at the Capital Manor retirement community in west Salem, a small group of volunteers seated around a table are hard at work labeling bulk food bags for Marion Polk Food Share. The task is simple – peel a printed label from a roll, stick it on a bag, set the bag aside and repeat. One by one, over and over, hundreds of times.

While the work may seem mundane, the mood in the room is anything but. The seniors laugh and kid with one another while engaging in spirited discussions on topics ranging from Hitchcock films to the merits of dogs versus cats.

“There’s a lot of gossip that goes around,” says Lisa, chuckling while diligently placing labels for dry black beans on bags that will later be filled at the Food Share’s warehouse and distributed to pantries throughout the area.

That “gossip” isn’t at all tawdry, but instead consists of things like updates on who just became a great-grandparent, or who’s planning a big trip overseas.

“We’re all having fun,” says Glenda, a resident coordinator who organizes the volunteer group. “We’re accomplishing something, but new friendships are being made and new relationships are being formed.”

The volunteer effort is part of a longstanding partnership between the Food Share and Capital Manor. The group convenes monthly, with two hourlong shifts of about a dozen seniors labeling thousands of bags that will be used to pack bulk donations of dry beans, pasta, mushrooms and other items into family-size portions.

It’s an ideal opportunity for the seniors to volunteer in a way that doesn’t require lifting or standing for prolonged periods, and the fact that the work can be done without leaving Capital Manor is a huge plus.

Volunteering is also a great way for residents to meet their neighbors and build relationships. For people like Jeannie, who moved to Capital Manor during the pandemic when group social activities were limited, getting to know her fellow residents and making friendships during that time was a challenge.

“I signed up to volunteer and really started meeting people, and I’ve been coming ever since,” Jeannie says. “It’s a nice fellowship.”

A highlight of the Capital Manor volunteer experience is “wad ball”, a game that entails wadding up sticker backing paper and throwing it into the trashcan. The game was invented one day when a volunteer scrunched up a ball of paper and successfully shot it into the trash to the delight of the rest of the team. According to Glenda, they asked her to do it again and she hit the second shot.

“Well, then the game was on,” Glenda says. “I gave her the backing for the labels and she’s making the balls as quickly as she can, and every time she makes a basket we all scream cheers. People down the hall came running to see what was going on, and that’s part of the fun!”

In addition to the game of wad ball, the group has spawned a book club after several volunteers connected over a shared interest in reading. It’s also fostering meaningful connections for a pair of residents who work together each month. One is experiencing changes in her cognitive abilities, but with the gentle help of her friend is able to be a contributing member of the volunteer team.

The volunteer group embodies the Food Share’s mission of bringing people together to end hunger and its root causes. It provides the opportunity for residents to bond with one another while engaging in critical work to help their neighbors in need.

“This is the perfect volunteer job,” offers Lorraine, taking a pause from her work roaming around the work area collecting waste and resupplying volunteers with labels and bags. “It’s a social occasion, and you feel good about what you’ve done. It’s easy to come down here, and people want to help.”