Volunteer Mount Pearl has a number of fun projects lined up for the summer, fall and winter – and we need you

We are seeking youth and senior volunteers to participate in several upcoming events. Here are just some of the upcoming activities you can participate in. Check out the list below and let Debbie O’Rielly know what events you are interested in. And stay tuned as we develop more fun ways for seniors and youth to interact.

May-October 2016
Community Garden

# of Volunteers Required – minimum of 10 Seniors & 10 Youth (more welcome)
Time commitment – approximately 30 hours over 5 months
Ages 8+ (groups welcome)

Job Duties

Seniors take the lead in this project, teaching youth how to prepare soil for planting, and then actually doing it, right up to harvest time when a big feast will take place.

  • Traditional methods of gardening in Newfoundland will be discussed and youth learn how their families would have kept gardens in the past.
  • New methods may be employed to show youth how gardening has changed over time, and how we can now plant more varieties of foods to grow right here.
  • Youth will be shown how to make raised bed boxes and will take responsibility for several raised beds at the Kenmount Park Community Garden.
  • Seniors will teach youth about planting seedlings, fertilizing, using greenhouses and how to sow directly in the soil.
  • Over the following months it will be the responsibility of the seniors and youth to attend the gardens to ensure they are weeded and watered, approximately 1 hour a week, depending on rainfall.
  • As fall approaches the plantings will be ready to harvest. Youth and seniors will collect all food and a Thanksgiving feast will be held to celebrate.
  • No gardening experience necessary.

June 2016 – March 2017
Learning Traditional Food Preparation

# of Volunteers Required – minimum of 6 Seniors and 10 Youth
Time Commitment – approximately 25 hours
Ages 8+

Job Duties
In a world of fast food and instant meals seniors are much more used to cooking and preparing their own meals from scratch.

  • Youth will learn how to bake bread in a group event. Seniors will share the knowledge and youth will be instructed in how to prepare the dough, how to rise it and finally baking. Of course this all ends with some butter and a cup of tea or glass of milk.
  • Prior to this, youth and seniors will have collected berries in a berry picking expedition and, while waiting on the bread, seniors will teach how to prepare berries for jam.
  • When cucumbers are ready in the community garden youth and seniors will prepare them with a mustard pickle event.
  • It is anticipated that there will be several opportunities for this event taking place at different times throughout the year.
  • No cooking experience needed by youth to participate.

 

June 2016 – March 2017
Youth Visual and Performing Art Teachers for Seniors

# of Volunteers Required – minimum of 10 youth and unlimited Seniors
Time Commitment – approximately 40 hours
Ages 13+ and seniors of all ages. A fun way to get high school career hours.

Job Duties
Seniors will benefit from the knowledge and skills of youth who wish to expand their leadership skills and experiences in the visual and performing arts, while providing meaningful experiences for seniors.

  • Youth will collect stories from seniors in a relaxed and casual environment and turn those stories into short, one act plays, visual art, music or dance, or any combination thereof.
  • Youth and seniors will be guided by the Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl (AAMP), in addition to Volunteer Mount Pearl.
  • Opportunities will be made available for seniors to take painting or other visual art classes, dance, music and theatre.
  • Youth volunteers are needed to facilitate each of these classes.
  • Seniors are needed to participate in area (s) of interest.
  • No experience needed to participate, just a willingness to try something new.

September 2016 – March 2017
Youth Technology Teachers

# of Volunteers Required – minimum 12 Youth and 12 Seniors
Time Commitment – approximately 10 hours
Ages 13+ (ideal for high school career hours)

Job Duties
Youth take the initiative in this interactive teaching opportunity. We often recognize that our youth are the experts on technology and they are fun and entertaining teachers for the elderly. This event will take place once per month over several months in a library or similar setup.

  • Youth will teach seniors how to access the internet and how to navigate their way around various websites.
  • Youth will show seniors what we mean when we talk about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Skype. They will assist in setting up accounts where seniors are interested.
  • Youth will teach seniors about the various ways to access email and discuss what spam looks like, and what to trust and distrust.
  • Seniors will participate as willing students in order to further their knowledge of today’s ever-changing world.
  • Youth will also tackle smart phones and television remote controls and teach the basics of each for better understanding.
  • No experience needed to participate.
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