BY MELANIE ULLE
We’re lucky. We live in the greatest state in the nation and have three wonderful seasons plus fall which showed up properly this year and like never before. (Great job, fall. You earned your bowl of green chili this one time.) Colorado’s winter months offer spectacular snow-covered views and fresh mountain air, but for older adults, this time of year can pose ample challenges. As temperatures drop and snow blankets the state, seniors may face isolation, limited mobility, and increased difficulties in meeting their daily needs. It is incumbent on the rest of us to rise to the occasion and show up ready for action, all jacked up on holiday merriment and prepared to sing and serve.
We can hide under a bag, stand behind a tree, avert our gaze, but at the end of the day – we are our brothers’ keepers. This fact is objectively true. You know from years of experience and loads of complaining that winter in Colorado, though beautiful, can be harsh. That’s especially true for seniors. With icy sidewalks and freezing temperatures, venturing outside can become a daunting task. And with added pressures like inflation, some older adults might face unexpected financial constraints, making it harder to afford heating bills or purchase necessary winter gear.
Here are some primo Colorado service opportunities as we approach the holiday season and its promise of winter weather (you get double points if you sing a holiday ditty, or two, or three, while volunteering):
“Let it Snow” Shoveling Services: Consider helping seniors by shoveling snow from driveways and sidewalks. This simple act ensures safety and allows neighbors to move freely without the fear of slipping or falling.
“Over the River and Through the Woods” Transportation Support: Many aging adults might struggle with transportation during winter due to icy roads or lack of access to public transportation. Volunteering to drive them to medical appointments, grocery stores, or social gatherings can be immensely beneficial.
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” Check-In Efforts: Collect numbers and come up with a plan for critical weather with your peers/partners in service. Establish regular check-in programs where volunteers make phone calls or visits to ensure seniors have everything they need. This helps combat isolation and makes people feel supported and cared for and it’s a fantastic way to just tell someone you bring good tidings to them. And to their kin.
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Winterization Assistance: Help seniors winterize their homes by sealing drafts, installing weather strips, or providing blankets and warm clothing. This ensures folks will stay warm and comfortable indoors. Also, this song makes people feel weird so maybe just hum it.
“Home for the Holidays” Meal Delivery: Volunteer with local organizations like Meals on Wheels or Project Angel Heart that deliver food to seniors, especially during extreme weather conditions. Ensuring that neighbors have access to nutritious meals in their homes is crucial for their health and well-being.
If the ideas above are overwhelming and you don’t know where to start (and you just can’t sing), I would recommend reaching out to A Little Help, a nonprofit in Denver and in northern Colorado that connects willing volunteers with older adults who need, obviously, a little help. Their great work allows aging adults to remain in their homes which is crucial to thriving neighborhoods. Our children, our souls and our homes shine brighter when older neighbors stay present in our lives.
Volunteering and service are free ways to not only help your neighbors, but also to help yourself. Serving others reduces stress, fights depression, keeps the brain stimulated, while providing a sense of purpose which means it’s a win-win-win-win-win.
Now that you’ve packed a proper lunch, put on your boots, wrapped your neck tightly with a scarf, completed your vocal warmups and chugged a glass of water, you’re ready. I’ll see you outside with a shovel, a bag of roasted chestnuts and some hand warmers, but you should know – I sing a mean Feliz Navidad.