For many seniors once they retire it is easy to become more isolated and less involved in their communities than when they were working. But seniors have a lot to offer and for many seniors they are just looking for an opportunity to give. Look at any hospital or nonprofit organization and you will find an army of volunteers with a lifetime of experience who have taken on the mission to help their neighbors live a better life in a better community.

When Americorp members Alice Smith and David Killary were asked to conduct a service project this January to honor the spirit of the Martin Luther King Holiday they were unsure what to do. They wanted to do a project that would impact people who were down on their luck and needed a little support. They wanted a project that would have a tangible result, which would help the disadvantaged while allowing seniors to be at the forefront of this project. One meeting with senior advocates and a plan was born.

Seniors want to give back and they need to feel useful and connected to the community. Many seniors spend their free time making homemade mittens, hats, sweaters, afghans, quilts, and lap blankets while there are many Vermonters who are down on their luck and need items to not only warm their bodies but their hearts. Combine these two groups of people and what you get is a service project that makes a difference in both the giver and the receiver’s life. As Smith says this project “gives seniors a larger sense of purpose and it helps the needy.”

For one senior this project was a way to not only give back to her community but put some value on her knitting. Mae Cross, 91, of Colchester has been knitting since she was 9 years old. During the winter months it is hard for her to be able to get out and do as much as she would like so many days she spends knitting. When Cross found out about the Americorp project to help those in need stay warm she bought more yarn and started to work feverishly to finish her latest lap afghan. For Cross this project gave her a purpose, “just because I am in my 90’s a lot of people want to do things to help me, but I have been helping people my whole life and I like to be on the giving end. It is nice to know that I am making a difference in someone’s life. I know what it is like to be down on your luck and I would like to start off someone’s New Year on a good foot plus it gives me something to do.”

There will be drop boxes at various locations in Chittenden, Franklin, and Addison County until Jan 31. These handmade, knitted sweaters, mittens, hats, and afghans will be distributed to COTS, the Burlington Emergency Shelter, the Salvation Army and the Samaritan House. For any seniors interested in making a donation but are unable to get to a drop box you can call 865-0360 and request a pick-up. In addition, if you need to have yarn provided Smith or Killary can arrange for that.

Together seniors and those in need can make 2007 a little brighter. As Killary stated “It’s a great project because it addresses the needs of the needy and the seniors who need to be needed.”

Drop Off Locations:
Burlington High School
South Burlington High School
Fletcher Free Library-Burlington
Franklin County Senior Center-St. Albans
Marble Works Pharmacy in Middlebury

For More Information or to request a pick-up: 802-865-0360 or Senior HelpLine at 1-800-642-5119.

Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.