Title III Advisory Council Member  

The GLSS Advisory Council is a voluntary group of citizens from diverse backgrounds that serve as a critical link between GLSS and the elder community. The Council’s most important obligation is to help GLSS carry out the intent and the objectives of the Title III Older Americans Act.  

Volunteers who serve on the Advisory Council are expected to:  

• Represent the interests of older persons in Lynn, Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and/or Nahant. 
• Attend at least six 1.5-hour Wednesday morning meetings annually. 
• Report relevant community issues and concerns to GLSS staff and Board of Directors. 
• Participate in developing the Agency Area Plan on Aging and conduct public hearings. 
• Provide input in identifying priority service needs of area elders and adults with disabilities. 
• Monitor programs funded by Title III of the Older Americans Act. 
• Participate in the RFP (Request for Proposals) process for identifying service providers for Title III funded programs and make award recommendations to the GLSS Board of Directors. 
• Review GLSS policies related to the Older Americans Act and make recommendations to the GLSS Board of Directors as needed. 
• Serve a 3-year term on the Council. 

Recommended Experience and Knowledge:  

• Previous experience serving on councils or committees.  
• Knowledge of policy review and advocacy  
• Experience as a family caregiver, including older relative caregivers. 
• Background in health care provider organizations, including veterans' health care providers. 
• Experience as service providers in areas such as legal assistance, nutrition, disease prevention, health promotion, caregiving, and long-term care. 
• Desire to advocate for the interests of older individuals from diverse backgrounds. 
• Knowledge of local programs and services  
• Proficiency with email and basic computer skills a plus!  

Applications will need to be approved by the GLSS board of Directors before volunteers are able to fully serve on the Council. 

Volunteer Workshop Leader- Wellness Pathways Program  

Role Description:  

As a Volunteer Workshop Leader, you will guide participants through the Wellness Pathways Program, delivering workshops that cover a range of health and wellness topics. These workshops, lasting 6-8 weeks, focus on essential skills such as diabetes self-management, healthy eating, and falls prevention. GLSS seeks volunteers who are Bilingual in one or more of the following languages:  Haitian Creole, Russian, and Mandarin. 

Time Commitment: 2.5 hours per week, 6-8 week commitment. Volunteers must also commit to trainer certification prior to leading workshops.  

Volunteers are responsible for:  

• Leading and facilitating workshops, providing a comprehensive overview of the curriculum.  
• Collaborating closely with other trainers and the Wellness Pathways Program manager to receive training and certification before leading workshops   
• Engaging with and supporting workshop participants, fostering a positive and inclusive environment 

Experience and Knowledge 

• Experience with teaching or leading workshops  
• Bilingual (written and spoken) in any of the following languages:  
  • Haitian Creole 
  • Russian  
  • Mandarin 
• Skills in writing, proof reading, and verbal communication to a group of people  
• Passionate about Health and Wellness education 
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills  

If you struggle with a chronic condition, you may be an ideal candidate! 

Volunteer Translator  

  Volunteer Translators will provide written and spoken translation services for attendees of weekly cooking classes, nutrition education classes, or Food and Thought workshops held at the Phoenix Food Hub. These classes, led by our teaching kitchen chefs, or GLSS staff, focus on healthy and nutritious recipes, nutrition education, and the relationship between mental health and nutrition. Volunteers will collaborate closely with the Phoenix Food Hub Program Coordinator, Teaching Kitchen Chef, or workshop leaders to ensure all participants have access to the classes and materials through translation. The Phoenix Food Hub seeks volunteers to translate English into Spanish, Haitian Creole, Russian, or Khmer.  

Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per week  

Volunteers are responsible for:  

• Thoroughly listening and relaying accurate instructions and directions given by the teaching kitchen chef to attendees.  
• Providing written translation of program materials, recipes, shopping lists and other communication materials for classes 
• Assisting the chef by translating questions from participants and accurately relaying answers 
• Assisting in proofreading translations and materials for the class to ensure accuracy, consistency, legibility  

Experience and Knowledge 

• Experience with teaching or translation services 
• Fluent bilingual interpreter (spoken) in any of the following languages:  
  • Spanish 
  • Haitian Creole 
  • Russian  
  • Khmer  
• Skills in writing, proof reading, and verbal communication to a group of people  

Teaching Kitchen Volunteer Chef  

A Volunteer Chef with the Phoenix Food Hub is someone who not only has a passion for cooking but also a deep commitment to helping others. This role is a vital part of our nutrition education program, where the chef teaches valuable culinary skills to adults, kids, and families. By teaching them how to prepare nutritious, low-cost meals, the Volunteer Chef will empower participants to make healthier food choices and confidently cook delicious meals for themselves or their families, helping manage their overall health and well-being.  

Time Commitment: 1.5 hours per week, allowing for prep time before classes and after classes.  

Volunteers will be responsible for:  

• Developing healthy, low cost, easy to follow recipes to teach during classes 
• Demonstrating and teaching meal preparation, nutrition, sanitation  
• Preparing meals that can be shared with a group of people  
• Following all food safety regulations while in the teaching kitchen 
• Facilitate class discussion and answer participant questions to the best of their ability  
• Cleaning the kitchen at the end of class  
• Preparing a typed recipe and ingredient shopping list for participants to take with them at the end of class.  

Skills/ Experience Required:

• Professional culinary training or experience in the food industry encouraged; we also welcome any qualified chefs from local restaurants and businesses  
• Interest in helping low-income individuals from diverse backgrounds 
• Comfortable speaking in front of groups 
• Willingness to be trained in SERV Safe procedures if needed 
• Willingness to collaborate with program coordinators and nutritionists and adhere to program policies and procedures  
• Bilingual volunteers are strongly encouraged to apply  

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Volunteer  

The Ombudsman works toward improving the quality of care, life and environment in long-term care facilities while protecting the rights, benefits and entitlements of each resident. After certification training, Volunteer ombudsmen visit and listen to residents' concerns as well as problem-solve. Many residents of long-term care facilities sometimes have little or no contact with the outside world and some have few visitors. An ombudsman volunteer who visits regularly can make a huge difference in the quality of life of a resident.   

The Volunteer ombudsman is responsible for:  

• Attending and successfully completing state certification and recertification training 
• Visiting assigned Long Term-Care facility(s) weekly and completing monthly reports in a timely manner  
• Advocating to improve the quality of life, care and environment in all Long-Term Care facilities 
• Providing information and referrals to residents, families, and Long-Term Care facilities 
• Attending monthly Volunteer Ombudsman meetings 

Skills/ Experience  

• Good Listening Skills: Attentive and empathetic to residents’ needs. 
• Compassion: Demonstrates care and concern for maintaining quality of life for residents. 
• Reliable Transportation: Able to travel to and from Long-Term Care facilities. 
• Commitment: Willing to commit to the program for 2 years. This role has a 2–4-hour monthly commitment for visits to facilities.  
• Trustworthiness: Capable of building and maintaining trustworthy relationships with residents and can maintain confidentiality with sensitive information. 
• Training and Certification: Completes training with the Program Manager to become State Certified. 
• “The Ombudsman should be sensitive to the needs of residents in Long-Term Care facilities; be committed to the goals and objectives of the Ombudsman Program; have the ability to express oneself orally and in writing; be able to assess and judge situations of concern in an impartial way; and work in a confidential manner.” 
   

Money Management Bill Payer  

Volunteer Bill Payers support elders in managing their monthly finances to aid independent living. Once Bill Payers have completed program training, they are matched with elders enrolled in our Money Management Program. While the elder maintains all decision making for finances, the bill payer will act as a support and assist them with managing and organizing monthly bills however they wish during monthly one-on-one meetings. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone, even a very busy person, to help an elderly community member in a very important way. 

Responsibilities: 

• Organize and help pay bills in partnership with the elder  
• Track accounts and balances 
• Write checks for those who need assistance  
• Mail bills or make payments on behalf of the elder  
• Partner with the elder to create a budget 
• Submit a monthly report detailing visits to Program Coordinators  

Elders retain all check-signing authority and make all financial decisions. 

Time Commitment: 

• 2-4 hours per month 
• Flexible scheduling based on elders' needs 

Qualifications: 

• Reliable transportation 
• Comfortable visiting elders' homes or meeting at agreed locations for one-on-one meetings 

Training and Support: 

• Short training course provided 
• Year-round professional support available 

A Care Partner Support Volunteer is a compassionate, empathetic individual who wants to give back to family caregivers in their area in a meaningful way. Volunteers will be matched with caregivers who are enrolled in our Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) and will provide skills support, emotional support, resource navigation, and respite to ease caregiver burden and improve education and quality of care for care partnerships using skills learned in Positive Approach to Care (PAC) training sessions.

 Volunteers will be responsible for: 
·    Supporting individuals who are living with dementia by focusing on their abilities and creating meaningful experiences that enhance their quality of life, and the lives of the people who are supporting them.
·    Completing 10-12 hours of program specific training prior to volunteering
·    Weekly or every other week visits to caregiver’s homes to provide direct support
·    Possible respite care support when appropriate 
·    Attending monthly Volunteer Corp check-in meetings
·    Submitting documentation of support phone calls and visits 
·    Providing phone call support to family caregivers whom they are partnered with 
·    Assisting family caregivers with finding services and supports 
·    Educating and encouraging family caregivers 
·    Communicating with FCSP staff as needed
 
Recommended Experience and Knowledge:  
·    An interest in supporting individuals who are living with dementia along with the people who are caring for them
·    Lived experience as the family caregiver of a person who is living with dementia
·    Experience as a service provider in areas such as health promotion, caregiving, and long-term care 
·    Desire to advocate for the interests of older individuals from diverse backgrounds
·    Knowledge of local programs and services  
·    Comfortable with meeting and working in caregiver's homes 
·    Proficiency with email and basic computer skills  
 
Time Commitment: 
•    At least 1 year commitment to the program and training
•    2-4 hours per month, possibility of more hours depending on caregiver need

Many Family Caregivers also face cultural and linguistic barriers which prevent them from accessing support and services that could assist them and the loved ones they care for. We are looking for bilingual Care Partner Support Volunteers who speak English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. 
Continued education, training, and year-round support is available to all volunteers throughout their service.