Many people ask why I have such a deep passion for volunteering with seniors. The answer is simple: from birth to age 17, I was raised by individuals who were born in the 19th century. Growing up surrounded by older adults gave me a front-row seat to the effects of aging and instilled in me a lifelong desire to support seniors.
Now, at 69, I continue to help other aging adults through my work with United We Age, where I volunteer at Springbrook, a long-term care facility in Clayton, NC. Springbrook is home to low-income seniors, many of whom are in various stages of cognitive decline. Some residents have family or friends nearby, but many do not.
One of the activities I conduct at Springbrook is music bingo. I create a playlist of songs that are at least 50 years old and pair them with a bingo card. It’s heartwarming to watch the residents light up when they recognize a song and mark it off on their card. It’s even more moving to see some residents help others who have more serious disabilities.
After a recent music bingo session, I came up with the idea to organize a concert outing for the residents. I’m currently raising funds to cover the cost of tickets and transportation for an upcoming concert in Raleigh. Since I’m also passionate about swimming and am training to swim competitively in the North Carolina Senior Games this September, I decided to combine my training with a fundraising effort.
Every day this summer (except for one week off), I’ve swum dozens of laps in a 25-meter community pool. My goal was to swim 30 miles, but as of August 31, I’ve completed 49 miles. At the start, I asked for $1 per mile, but since I’m surpassing my goal, I’m now asking for just $0.50 per mile. By the end of today, I will have completed my 50th mile.
Community support is key to further this cause. If you can contribute $25 to help these wonderful seniors enjoy a day at the concert (I’m working with the North Carolina Symphony to finalize the details), we would be incredibly grateful. I’ll keep you posted on how the concert and my competitive swim turn out. Let’s hope for a gold medal in both!
Robert Paxon
Opmerkingen