Lend A Hand seeks volunteers as summer typically sees rise in needs, fewer people to help

Lend A Hand of Boulder City is dedicated to helping the community’s seniors as well as disabled residents and, as summer comes along, it is in sore need of additional volunteers to ensure it can continue to provide aid to everyone in need.

The nonprofit group is a Boulder City original, unaffiliated with any national organization, and founded in 1989 by local residents to help the community’s senior citizens remain independent in their own homes.

Lend A Hand currently has about 80 volunteers to serve approximately 360 local clients, an increase of 30 percent over the number of people to whom they provided aid last year, according to the Christina Lodge, the program’s director.

As summer gets underway, the organization expects to see as much as 50 percent of its volunteers become unavailable for at least a few months which, according to Lodge, could force it to institute its first ever waiting list because of an ever-increasing number of clients.

To help offset this shortage, Lend A Hand will hold a training class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 21 at its office, 400 Utah St. Training will focus on service procedures as well as recognizing elder abuse and dementia. Volunteers will be able to choose their own days, hours and the types of services they are able to perform.

“We know people have a lot of their own responsibilities, so our volunteer opportunities are very flexible,” Lodge said. “Some people only have time to help out one or two days a week, others donate time almost every day, and we have some volunteers that are strictly local, while others are able to drive into Las Vegas.

“We don’t begrudge those that need to leave in the summer and we are thrilled to welcome many of them back in the fall,” Lodge said. “Without our volunteers we wouldn’t even exist.”

Though some volunteers offer in-home services, including respite for caregivers, laundry and light housekeeping, the majority of the organization’s work is focused on transportation. Many of Lend A Hand client’s would be unable to remain on their own without assistance getting around.

“Our volunteers offer personalized round-trip service for things as simple as grocery shopping and local errands as well as important trips all over the Las Vegas Valley,” Lodge said. “Without the aid of drivers many of our client’s would be unable to pick up their prescriptions or even get to doctor’s appointments, which are often located across Las Vegas.”

Those interested in the training class are asked to register by June 20 by calling 702-294-2363 or emailing director@lendahandbouldercity.org.

For more information, visit www.lendahandbouldercity.org.

Contact reporter Hunter Terry at hterry@bouldercityreview.com or call 702-586-6711. Follow him on Twitter @HunterBCReview