Seniors Honor Volunteer
The Jasper County Senior Center depends on volunteers to help with special activities each year. Each volunteer selects his or her area of interest.
The center currently depends on about three men and five women volunteers to assist in different areas, all of which are aged 60 or older. There is one female volunteer who is younger. Volunteer activities range from exercise to janitorial. There is a need for someone to lead men’s activities and card games.
Center Director Tracy Norton said, “the best programs are those with plenty of senior volunteers. We hope to recruit even more.”
The center has a vision to eventually move toward being a Center for Active Living for those age 60 plus. This will entail having scheduled activities outside of or in conjunction with the regular 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. program. The activities will be based on community interest, such as bunco, bridge, silver sneakers, senior stretches, quilting, walking, travelling, corn hole competition, horseshoe competition, chess club, etc. This is where volunteers will help our program grow to a broader spectrum of citizens.
Based on the volunteer’s dependability, commitment and effectiveness, the center selects an annual volunteer of the year. This year, Nancy Salter has been selected. She has donated her time weekly to lead craft activities for a year at the senior center. She always went over and beyond the call of duty by supplying materials as well as her time. The seniors have adopted her now as part of their family.
Ms. Salter retired from Clayton County School System in 2012 as a school bus monitor. She then moved to Monticello. She desired to continue to stay active so volunteering is her strategy for aging well. She mixed her love of crafts and the elderly with her dedication to serve.
She is a member of the local Trinity Praise Center located on Hwy. 11 North. She has volunteered at a nursing home in Jonesboro for three years prior to this and has always done crafts with children. She has three children, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren who also keep her busy. The seniors are very grateful for her service.
