Touchmark Retirement Communities
Edmonton Alberta Volunteering with Touchmark
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“It is abundantly clear from a number of studies that people who live generous lives also live happier lives.”
—Stephen G. Post, PhD, co-author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People
Share your time and talents
Research continues on the positive impact of “giving back” in regard to the physical and emotional well-being of the volunteer. In the past decade, there have been several in-depth studies on the benefits of volunteering for individuals of all ages—youth to older adults.
In Touchmark communities, residents are encouraged to participate in a wide range of civic engagement opportunities, and they devote countless hours to community service for deserving programs and organizations.
Volunteers in action slide show
The Touchmark Store recently opened. Resident volunteers (from left) Gerry Smailes, Wendy Rempel, and Terry Shanahan are ready to serve you. People now can purchase all-occasion cards and some toiletries and groceries, including milk, bread, soups, and snacks.
Audrey Dickie (from left), Ilse Grieser, and Gerry Smailes welcome people to the Touchmark
community and help them connect with others. The ladies bring welcome baskets to new residents, and they send out birthday, anniversary, and get-well cards.
Don Smailes finds pleasure in serving. “My philosophy is that serving is the best model,” says Don, who helps maintain the Touchmark community. Don helps look after the recycling and garbage rooms on each floor of the Grande and clears ice from the sidewalks around the community, when needed. “I get personal joy out of helping,” says Don. Don shares that he enjoys the friendships he’s formed with the Housekeeping and kitchen staff and that he finds these volunteer activities “good therapy” for his hip and back.
Executive Director Leanne Gugenheimer (left) and Housekeeping Supervisor Annette Wood
pack nonperishable food into the Touchmark food hampers, which were distributed to people in need in the Edmonton area. Third-year nursing students from University of Alberta helped gather food from the donation boxes located in the Health Services Neighbourhood and the Grande, sorted food into the hampers, and helped pack and tape the hampers.
More than 50 Touchmark volunteers attended an indoor garden party, which honored and thanked them for their many contributions. From left: Mollie Ryerson, Jeannette Kusovac, and Toni and Mike Trommelen pose for photos.
More than 50 Touchmark volunteers attended an indoor garden party, which honored and thanked them for their many contributions. From left: Mollie Ryerson, Jeannette Kusovac, and Toni and Mike Trommelen pose for photos.
In addition to volunteering in the surrounding community, residents provide support to programs and services on the campus, sharing years of life experience, talents, and skills. This unselfish commitment contributes to the relationships and outcomes that enhance the quality of life for both the giver and recipients.
Touchmark also invites volunteers from the broader community to support activities and services. A menu of possible volunteer opportunities is posted here, and interested people are encouraged to contact us to pursue the possibilities.
The process of volunteering is very much like applying for a job at Touchmark. Volunteer candidates fill out an application and proceed through the process of reference and background checks, orientation, and training. We place a high value on volunteers and want to find the right fit for each one.
To find out more about the volunteer opportunities within Touchmark, call the community’s main number or click here to contact us and convey your interest.
Pssst! Inquire about volunteering here!
Volunteers welcome!
Touchmark communities in the US and Canada actively recruit individuals who want to make a difference in their own and others’ lives by committing time, talent, and energy to the Life Enrichment/Wellness program offerings. Volunteer opportunities include:
- Piano players
- Musicians
- Gardeners
- Pet pals
- Crafters
- Storytellers
- Walking/hiking buddies
- Bible study leaders
- Exercise buddies
- Cooking connoisseurs
- Hosts and Hostesses
- Artists
- Discussion group leaders
- Board and card game enthusiasts
- Needle crafters-quilters; knitting; crocheting; needlepoint; weavers
- Excursion buddies
For details on available opportunities, talk with the Life Enrichment/Wellness director or complete the application.
Resources about volunteering
These articles and links provide more information about the benefits of volunteerism:
“Growing Older in America: The Health & Retirement Study”
www.nia.nih.gov/ResearchInformation/ExtramuralPrograms/BehavioralAndSocialResearch/HRS.htm
“The 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating” [Note: This is a 94-page document.]
www.givingandvolunteering.ca/files/giving/en/csgvp_highlights_2007.pdf
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