CEO Corner: October 2023

Robin Ingles shares how Seniors in Service volunteers are transforming lives across Tampa Bay while finding renewed purpose, joy, and connection through service.

Service has a way of reshaping our lives — often in the moments we least expect. Across Tampa Bay, Seniors in Service volunteers are finding renewed purpose, healing after loss, and lasting joy by showing up for others. From hospice support to classroom mentoring to companionship for isolated seniors, these stories reveal how giving back can transform not only the community, but the person serving.

A Message From Robin Ingles

Seniors in Service volunteers are a pillar of Tampa Bay, transforming lives in the communities where they serve. Recently, they shared at our Bridging Generations Breakfast with our partners, supporters, and community leaders how making a difference in their communities helped them step into the best years of their lives.

Raymond Van Loon expressed how hard it was to lose his wife, spending the last six months of her life in hospice care. His experience motivated him to become a hospice volunteer and encourage others through their difficult time. Volunteering has given him a new sense of purpose after losing his wife.

Asleen Griffin shared how she thought she would only volunteer as a Senior Companion for a few weeks to fill a need. Now, 12 years later, she can’t imagine giving it up. She loves providing companionship to isolated seniors in her neighborhood.

Arthur Givens explained how volunteering in the schools was never part of his retirement plan, but watching his students’ confidence strengthen as he tutors and mentors in the classroom gives him an overwhelming sense of joy.

Our volunteers wake up feeling grateful for another day to make a difference. They see the beauty of the human experience by sharing their knowledge, wisdom, and compassion to mentor and tutor children, provide companionship to seniors, help a struggling veteran rebuild his or her life, and help fight food insecurity in our neighborhoods.

Volunteers who draw on their lifetime of experiences and wisdom to transform lives are invaluable to our communities, inspiring people everywhere to seek ways to get involved and make a lasting difference.