Silver Star Volunteering
When I was working on my master’s degree in gerontology, one of the areas that was emphasized the most was the importance of volunteerism in older adults. As seniors, we often have the time, opportunity, and funds to reach out to others that younger generations do not have. And, as seniors, we are often the recipients of volunteer efforts by younger generations in areas that make a huge difference in our lives and longevity. As a board member of the Llano Estacado Silver Star Board, it is exciting to see groups and individuals volunteering their efforts, time and funds to help some of the neediest in our community—in this case, clients of Adult Protective Services.
Recently the Texas Nurses Association-District 18, a non-profit organization which serves as the local chapter for RNs in Lubbock, Hockley and Hale Counties, partnered with Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Covenant School of Nursing, and Sigma Theta Tau Iota Mu nursing honor society in donation drives and volunteer events at the LESSB Silver Star Room. Besides material and monetary donations, the group helped inventory and organize items for easy access. They plan to continue this effort on a quarterly basis. Representing the group, Belinda Gallegos stated, “As nurses and future nurses, we enjoy helping others and especially those in need. We feel it is an honor to serve our community and help our vulnerable elderly by donating supplies and volunteering our time at the Silver Star Room.”
The nurses association was also a huge help packing up the Silver Star Room in February for a move to its new location on 34th Street, and then helping re-organize the items after the move.
As a small volunteer board, we are blessed by the efforts of this and other groups, like the Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Junior League of Lubbock. And we couldn’t possibly provide what we do for APS clients in the Lubbock area without the many organizations and individuals that help us through grants and donations.
Jess Peterson
(This is a portion of an article that appeared in the Winter 2022 edition of Lubbock’s Senior Link Magazine)