Making A Difference
Your unrestricted donation can help us provide essential support to our seniors in the Santa Ynez Valley, many who are suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Make A Difference Volunteering
With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family, and your community. The right match can help you find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health.
One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of our residents.
Join The Friendship Auxiliary
Founded in 1987, the Friendship Auxiliary is a group of dynamic women and men dedicated to the residents of Friendship House. The Friendship Auxiliary fundraising and volunteer efforts support therapeutic and recreation programs that allow our elders to live as independently as possible while receiving the highest standard of care. The Friendship Auxiliary helps to build community awareness by hosting events and social gatherings, promoting fundraising, and recruiting community members to support Friendship House.
The Friendship Auxiliary meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 10:00am in the Netzer Community Center.
To join the Friendship House Auxiliary contact tammy@solvangfriendshiphouse.com.
Our fundraising directly supports:
- Equipment, home furnishings, electric healthcare beds, state of the art vans
- Capital Campaign Funding
- Resident Activity Programing, such as supplies and instructors for Exercise/Wellness program, Music Therapy and Art Therapy
- Holiday Party to bring warmth and cheer to residents. Shop for gifts, decorate and provide food and entertainment for party and hand out individually selected gifts.
- Mother’s Day Tea honoring mothers living at Friendship House. We serve tea and finger sandwiches and scrumptious desserts and give a special memento to each resident.
- Father’s Day Party honoring all fathers living at Friendship House. We serve pizza, help make ice cream sundaes and present each father with a special gift.
- Birthday “sunshine” gift presented to each resident on their birthday.
- Bingo prizes for residents.
- Christmas Gifts for all residents
Program Volunteer Opportunities
Friendly Visitor
As a friendly visitor, we will match you up with a resident for 1:1 visits, to play a game, read a book, work on a puzzle, reminisce or just spend time together.
Activity Assistant
Our life Enrichment department offers many daily programs. Help is needed transporting residents to and from the programs, assuring the program runs smoothly and interacting with the groups of residents. Activities may include: games, parties, bell ringing, art projects, baking, concerts, exercise class, singing and dancing.
Pet Therapy
Pet therapy is a great way to enhance the moods and lives of our residents. All pets must have updated health records and be screened by our staff for consideration.
Parent/Child Visitor
A wonderful intergeneration program focusing on connecting children with elders, activities include singing songs, weekly visits, play group, stories and games.
Guest Performer
Share your special talent with our residents! Groups are welcome and activities include singing, playing instruments, hosting lectures or programs etc.
Namaste Assistant
Accompanying our residents to the Namaste room where you will assist with transporting wheel chairs, light hand massage, aroma therapy, hydration and keeping them company as needed.
Plant and Garden Assistant
Friendship House is home to a variety of flowers, plants and small garden that need constant care. If you have a “green thumb” consider assisting us with watering, weeding and plant care.
Music and Memory
Music is a powerful healing tool and can greatly assist with memory recall. In this program you will assist the Life Enrichment program with creating play lists, loading songs on IPod and interviewing and assisting residents with musical preferences while we customize their own personal music device.
Outing Volunteer
We aim to provide regular trips out for residents. Volunteer as a helper for these outings by traveling with the resident and acting as a companion for the day. You will be able to make the day more enjoyable for residents by lending a hand during a short walk, or pushing their wheelchair. On all outings, you will be accompanied by a member of the Friendship House care team.
Walking Buddies
To accompany a resident who wishes to walk, or be pushed in a wheelchair, around the gardens of Friendship House or around our local neighborhood.
Contact robbie@solvangfriendshiphouse.com to schedule a time to volunteer.
Event Volunteers
We are in need of volunteers who can assist throughout the year at our fundraising events.
- Ladies Night Out held in April/May
- Dining By Design Home Dinners held in July-September
- Nashville Nights held the last Saturday in September
Organizational Volunteers
- Help with marketing, social media, website, newsletter
- Administrative duties, such as addressing and stuffing invitations, bulk mail letters
- Put marketing material packets together
Facility and Grounds Volunteers
- Help with painting, fence repair and general facility renovations and maintenance