A Personal Letter of Invitation from the Volunteer Coordinator:

I discovered AgeSong two years ago when I was taking an Activity Coordinator training at College of Marin.  Betsy Best-Martini, the instructor, who offers the training every fall semester, sends her students throughout the San Francisco Bay area to donate their time to elder and assisted living communities.  I chose to volunteer at several communities in different counties.  My volunteer experience at AgeSong’s newest community in Emeryville was transforming.  I volunteered with residents of all levels of care – finding each experience as rewarding as the others. We sang and made illustrations of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” and researched the history of aprons and then each resident made her/his own apron.

Within a few months, I was recruited to serve on the Poetics of Aging Conference committee, sponsored by AgeSong.  Then I was asked to chair the conference.  Now I am working full-time as Volunteer Coordinator and Outreach Director for AgeSong.

I can’t promise all volunteers a job, but with 20 years experience as a career counselor and educator, I know that you are most fulfilled, whether paid or unpaid, when you are using your most highly motivated skills and interests in an organization with values congruent with your values and when you are immersed in activities that fill a need by society.

We have volunteers from teen to post-doc and retired, with a diversity of backgrounds, abilities, and interests. Volunteering at AgeSong will be a rewarding, amazing experience that will open your mind and heart to a new view of aging as expansion, creativity and growth.

Sally Gelardin, sallyg @agesong.com

More Information…

Volunteers provide a valuable contribution to AgeSong’s programs that foster diversity and loving exchanges between volunteers and residents who have diverse experiences in life.

We all benefit when seniors remain engaged in the world. By integrating our inner community with our outer surroundings, and by offering residents encouragement, support, and opportunities for growth, AgeSong programs counter loneliness and isolation, and encourage learning and community involvement. You Can Help!

If you’re interested in volunteering for AgeSong call (510) 318-7739 Ext. 360 or e-mail volunteer@agesong.com for the opportunities that most interest you.

OUR COMMUNITIES

AgeSong at Bayside Park – Emeryville

Our community offers independent, supportive, assisted living & forgetfulness care within a vibrant nurturing environment. Our programs promote energetic, engaging, and educational choices. Residents also enjoy trips to local areas of interest, one-on-one discussions and support with special projects.

AgeSong at Lakeside Park – Oakland

Lakeside Park offers assisted living services for those with forgetfulness (what others call dementia) or other specialized care. We provide a unique setting combining our park-like surroundings with home-style environment. All of our programs support residents in communicating. Our staff, interns and volunteers work on intergenerational exchanges, group projects and individual and family projects.

AgeSong at Lake Merritt – Oakland

Agesong at Lake Merritt is an independent lifestyle community intended especially for older adults. Our wide array of programs, services, and amenities are designed from a holistic perspective to promote an active lifestyle that supports the mind, body, and spirit.

AgeSong at Hayes Valley/Laguna Grove – San Francisco

Our San Francisco communities offer specialized care for high needs assisted living, including an innovative forgetfulness care (what others call dementia or Alzheimer’s disease) and behavioral health program. These communities are part of the Pacific Institute, a Bay Area non-profit organization serving elders through care, education, and research.

Click here to submit your Volunteer Questionnaire online.