Here at AgeSpan, we often encounter older adults who are having a tough time doing their finances. They find the print on bills and correspondence too small, too difficult to read. and the corporate and legal language of some financial transactions can puzzle others. We have a wonderful, well-established program to meet the needs of such people free of charge.
Are you a numbers person? Have you worked in banking, accounting, or finance? This service, AgeSpan’s Money Management program, has openings for volunteers. The program helps people aged 60 and over who have difficulty with simple financial tasks like paying bills, budgeting, and balancing their checkbooks. As a volunteer, you’ll receive free training and learn how to make a big difference in someone’s life. For more information about the program, please contact Matt Ryan at mryan@agespan.org or call 800-892-0809.
Joel Janovsky of Andover has been volunteering in the program for three years: “I find it very rewarding to help people who need this level of assistance. It gives me an awareness of the problems they face with their health and finances. I get to know them, earn their trust, and relate to them on a one-to-one level. That makes me feel good.”
Joel meets with clients once each month to help fill out forms and pay bills, aiding an average of three people. The interpersonal connection is vital to the work, which requires patience because he sometimes assists those with cognitive difficulties.
He says the Money Management program and its accompanying guidebook have been very useful in his volunteering. In addition, this experience came in handy right in his own family—when his father developed dementia and he had to become his representative payee.
Joel is a retired software engineer who transitioned from network computing into financial services, working at such companies as Fidelity Investments and Wellington Management. But he emphasizes that Money Management volunteers don’t need to be financial wizards to become an immense help to older adults like his clients: “Anyone who can balance their checkbook can do this.”
Joel searched the internet for a volunteer opportunity that used his skills for detailed tasks involving numbers. He was directed to the AgeSpan website and the Money Management program. He signed up for the training and was hooked.
If you volunteer, you might save older adults from falling behind on their rent, getting their utilities shut off, or having a lien placed on their home.
A few hours of your time each month could make a world of difference for an older adult.
