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Senior Corps Week Highlights Volunteers

Senior Corps

Older adults provide more than 80 million hours of volunteer service in southern Illinois, western Kentucky and across the country.

This is Senior Corps Week. Senior Corps is part of the federal Corporation for National & Community Service. CEO Wendy Spencer said seniors are volunteering at a record rate.

“One in 3 volunteers across America is 55 or older,” Spencer said. “That’s 20 million seniors across America.”

Spencer said the Foster Grandparents program is one of the most popular. She said it connects local seniors with area schools and other organizations where they work with teachers and parents to provide extra support to students.

Other opportunities in the southern Illinois region include the Jackson–Perry County Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Camp ground hosts at Crab Orchard Lake, the Jackson County Medical Reserve Corp, and the American Red Cross.

Opportunities in western Kentucky range from volunteering as a tour guide at Paducah’s National Quilt Museum to working with Habitat for Humanity in Owensboro.

Seniors can find out more about local volunteer opportunities at www.serve.gov

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