Summer Volunteers Needed to Help Homebound Adults & Senior Receive Vital Free-of-Charge Services

Summer Volunteers Needed to Help Homebound Adults and Seniors Receive Vital Free-of-Charge Services 

Duet: Partners In Health & Aging is looking for volunteers this summer. Many of their regular volunteers leave the Valley for cooler climates. These dedicated volunteers are paired with homebound adults who can no longer drive, affectionately referred to as “neighbors,” and provide vital services such as grocery shopping and rides to medical appointments. It is difficult for the neighbors to access public transportation in the summer heat, making it even more challenging. Duet is putting out the call for volunteers to help this summer in the following ways.

• Grocery Shoppers with Neighbors: Many people go to the store multiple times a week and it’s so easy to take a few extra minutes to pick a neighbor up on the way to take them with.  These extra minutes it takes the volunteer to do something that they’d normally do anyway, means the world to someone who doesn’t have a way to get to the store otherwise.
• Substitute shoppers: We need volunteers to fill in for those who are on vacation so that neighbors can have access to the most basic of needs – food.
• Drivers: If you don’t have time to take a neighbor grocery shopping, you still can help by picking up and delivering a grocery order already placed by a virtual shopper. This not only provides the neighbor with their food, but it also saves them from paying a delivery fee.

“The summer time can be pretty tough on vulnerable older adults,” says Celeste Plumlee, Director of Homebound Adult Services, “and they rely on the support of others at the same time that a lot of our volunteers are escaping the heat. A ride to a doctor’s appointment or grocery store can have a significant impact on how our neighbors get through the day.”

How it works: 

Volunteers set their own hours and Duet matches them with homebound adults close to where they live or work, so it’s flexible and convenient. Just a few hours a month during the day, evening, or weekend can make a world of difference in the life of a homebound adult.

Right now, there are 175+ homebound adults waiting to be matched with compassionate volunteers. Duet is looking for caring volunteers in six Valley cities: Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, and Scottsdale south of Bell Road. The zip codes most in need of volunteers include: 85008, 85016,  85032, 85251, 85260, 85301.

An important step in becoming a Duet volunteer is to attend an orientation. Upcoming orientations are May 22nd from 4-6pm at La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale; and in Phoenix on June 10 from 2-4pm at the Duet offices; June 26 from 4-6pm at Orangewood Presbyterian Church; and July 8 from 2-4pm at the Duet offices; July 24 from 4-6pm at the Granite Reef Senior Center in Scottsdale. Contact Duet to RSVP for an orientation at (602) 274-5022 ext 123 or visit https://duetaz.org/help-a-homebound-adult/ for more information.

About Duet: Partners In Health & Aging: Duet is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote health and well-being through vitally needed services to homebound adults, family caregivers, and grandfamilies. Duet’s free-of-charge services are available in the greater Phoenix area. To volunteer, donate or ask for help, go to www.duetaz.org or call (602) 274-5022.