Thankful - WKTV Journal

By Amanda Haberlein

Public Relations/Communications Coordinator

Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan

This time of year many may reflect on what they have to be thankful for and for some, this includes a desire to volunteer their time to help others. While older adults are able and welcome to volunteer anywhere, some find it more appealing to volunteer with organizations that cater specifically to older adults. The following agencies either utilize senior volunteers throughout the community or use volunteers to serve older adults specifically.

Friendly Visitor Program – This program pairs volunteers with older adults who feel extremely isolated, lonely or are homebound. Volunteers make weekly social visits with the goal of providing companionship and helping seniors remain mentally and physically active and connected to their community. The Friendly Visitor program accepts volunteers of all ages who want to make a positive impact on the life of a senior. They are partnered with an older adult for flexible one hour weekly visits and are encouraged to commit to at least one year with the program, although many build lasting relationships

To find out more, contact Spectrum Health Visiting Nurse Association Volunteer Services at 616-486-3956.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) – This organization pairs older adult volunteers with non-profit agencies within Kent County. Senior volunteers can work in a number of ways including transporting older adults to medical appointments, providing other older adults with companionship, serving in food pantries and tutoring early elementary grade students to increase literacy, and much more. RSVP staff can help volunteers identifying opportunities within these focus areas that best match with their interests and/or skills.

For more information, contact Senior Neighbors’ RSVP program at 616-459-9509

Senior Companion Program –The program trains and provides a stipend for low-income seniors to care for older adults who are homebound, frail or who have mental and/or physical disabilities. Volunteers may come to the home to provide companionship for the senior, a break for a family caregiver, or companionship and support at a congregate meal site where seniors eat together. These visits often help older adults overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation some older adults experience.

For more information on this program, contact Senior Neighbors at 616-459-6019.

Meal Drivers and Packers – Meals on Wheels Western Michigan is always looking for volunteers to either help package or deliver home delivered meals. Volunteers can be any age and ability who are interested in helping provide nutritious meals to homebound seniors.

For more information on this program, contact Meals on Wheels West Michigan at 616-459-3111.

Still want to volunteer, but none of the above opportunities seem like a good fit for you? Check out Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Volunteer Center for opportunities organized by topic, location and keywords. For more information, visit http://connect.hwmuw.org/

For more details on Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan or services specific to older adults, visit www.aaawm.org or call at 616-456-5664.

Smushed in-between Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving sometimes feels like a lost holiday. The constant Christmas creep paired with shopping extravaganzas can give Thanksgiving the feeling of “meh.” Coupled with a forced inclusion of family and conversation topics that are sure to touch on sure-fire small talk such as religion and politics, Thanksgiving can seem like a hassle.

Seriously, Thanksgiving has been pushed so far down the list of holidays that it has become a placeholder, a pre-game if you will, for football, America’s favorite holiday no matter which day it’s on!

That’s why I’m here, to fight for Thanksgiving and its rightful place at the table next to Christmas instead of banished to the children’s table and forgotten about.

Thanksgiving, you are a beautiful and under appreciated holiday, and I am thankful for you! Here are some things to think about next time your mind flutters towards Christmas with Thanksgiving still on the horizon. Seriously, Christmas music BEFORE Thanksgiving!? Have you no shame…

Food

Let’s address the elephant in the room right away. I don’t have the true numbers right in front of me, but I took a completely unscientific poll this morning on my walk into work and came away with the indisputable proof that food is the best part of Thanksgiving for 98.8 percent of people. The other 1.2 percent laughed at me and walked away. That’s basically an answer for food, moving the results to 100 percent. Don’t even try to prove me wrong, you cannot win.

So, about the food! Thanksgiving is the one day a year where it is completely acceptable to eat as much as you want, and if anyone even thinks about judging you, tell them to stuff it – with stuffing of course. Stuffing is amazing and should be enjoyed by all. They were just judging you because they wanted your stuffing anyway.

But what about the guilt? Oh, yes, the guilt. I have met some people in my day who feel guilty that they’re eating so much. They’re on a diet and trying to lose weight, maybe they’re in the presence of a new significant other and her family and don’t want to look like a pig, or possibly the wife keeps nagging her poor husband about the tire around his stomach that continues to expand.

I have one phrase for everyone even feeling slightly guilty or judged… “Cheat Day.”

A cheat day is the greatest phrase in the world. You see, the world’s best athletes and body builders have them in their schedule, so you can too, right? The concept of a cheat day is simple, you stick to a strict diet for a week and you get one cheat day to eat whatever the heck you want. One day doesn’t kill you, whereas eating poorly over a long period of time will.

Thanksgiving is the ultimate cheat day! Start your diet tomorrow or just tell people you started a week ago. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. All you have to say is “cheat day” and everyone will immediately dismount from your back. This is your day. Enjoy it. If it’s good enough for the most in-shape people on planet earth, it’s good enough for you.

Family

This one can be a big holdup for a lot of people. Your family can be great and awful for the same reason: There is absolutely no filter. Aunt Sally is going to talk politics no matter what and she doesn’t care which side of the aisle you’re on. Someone is definitely bringing up religion, positively or negatively. On top of those big two, you’re going to be asked about your lack of a significant other, if you’d be interested in so-in-so’s friend, why you don’t have a better job, when you’re moving closer to home, and on and on it goes.

Instead of stressing about the impending questions of doom, switch gears in that dome of yours and revel in the fact that you have the opportunity to show off the best of your creative skills! These aren’t necessarily lies, they’re a part of being a thespian on Thanksgiving. How outrageous can an answer be while also keeping it believable?

“What happened to Taylor? I thought you two were so great together!”

“You see Grandma, within the past year I learned to fly. That’s not a metaphor either, I can actually, literally, fly. The fact that she couldn’t fly held me back. Why should I be with someone who can’t fly? I used to be at the bottom with the other lobsters, now I’m in the sky like birds and helicopters.”

Creative? Maybe. Use of song lyrics to confuse Grandma? Check. Believable? Depends on how much wine she’s enjoyed. Did it end the immediate conversation and any future questions pertaining to the situation? Absolutely. Mission accomplished? MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Work

Thanksgiving always lands on a Thursday, and since most jobs give Thanksgiving off, it makes for a long weekend. Not having to work is always a net positive. Also, since it’s a National Holiday, if you do have to work you’re (hopefully) being paid time and a half. That’s never a bad thing!

However, if you have to work on Black Friday or at a location that runs one of those “Black Friday” sales that actually start in the evening on Thanksgiving, then bless your soul. I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m also thankful I don’t have to work and attempt to corral the madness.

Everyone avoiding working on Black Friday, extend your thankfulness to someone in need, and then shove them over on your way to that new big screen marked over 50-percent off!

Football

This is a lost cause for all us Lions fans. There is no hope. There is never hope. It’s impossible to be thankful for the pit of doom and despair that is the Detroit Lions.

If you aren’t a Lions fan, be thankful… be very thankful.

Friends

With the new phenomenon called “Friends-giving” you have all the actual joys of Thanksgiving but with the added benefit of being around people you actually want to see. An old soul once gave me great words of wisdom, “Choose your wife wisely, she’s the only member of your family you have that luxury with.”

A friends-giving is an excuse to celebrate the holiday with those that you choose to be around! No excessive travel, no stressful questions, and no real commitment if something comes up. Be thankful for Thanksgiving because it brought us the notion of a friends-giving.

From the Citizen Journalism Team here at WKTV, everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving!