If you’re looking to give back to the local community but aren’t quite sure where to start, we have a good excuse for you: Grandparents Day. Celebrated every year on Sept. 8, the occasion honors the older folks in our life with their own special day. While it’s the perfect opportunity to go visit your own grandparents, many also use the occasion to lend a helping hand to older adults without grandkids of their own—and there are lots of great organizations right near your The Isle apartment where you can volunteer to show your appreciation for the older generation.

One of the most active senior service organizations is Journey’s Way, located just six blocks away in neighboring Roxborough. Journey’s Way is a full-service senior community center that offers a robust schedule of activities to keep local older adults engaged and excited about living in our area—an effort that is supported by volunteers. Because the organization offers such a wide range of programs and services for seniors, its opportunities for volunteering are also quite diverse.

For instance, volunteers can serve as phone buddies, to stay in touch with locals who lack a strong support system. If they have particular skills—from artistry to dance to culinary to health and wellness—volunteers are invited to lend that knowledge as an instructor of one of the center’s many enrichment classes. Volunteers also fan out into the community to help connect one on one with seniors, helping them with home repairs, running errands with them or simply providing companionship and friendship.

Whatever your interests and experiences, Journey’s Way offers plenty of opportunities to give back to those who both need and deserve it. And since so much of the agency’s work is headquartered right in and around Manayunk, you can volunteer without traveling too far from your The Isle apartment!

Journey’s Way

403 Rector St.

Philadelphia, PA 19128

215-686-4420