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When I was growing up in a small town in Kansas, I hired out as an errand girl for those who were more or less homebound...mostly elderly women. I was doing this at the young age of ten or eleven. I was paid about a dime, but in the 1940s it was okay. There may have been one or two other kids that did this, too. Now that I am one of those "elderly", I could use a bit of help with simple errands exactly like those I did as a kid. I am not so naive as to not know we live in a whole different world then it was then. But, still, we have churches and schools who could implement programs to provide this service and what kid wouldn't love to get involved if it meant a little money in their piggy bank. As I remember, the errands were not big, just a run to the post office for a stamp or to the store for a loaf of bread. I would hope that little things still mean a lot, even in todays world. Kids are kids...nothing really changes there. Thanks for listening, anyway...……...I was just thinking of simpler times...…………….Marie

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Papapals.com These a college students who need extra money and have a real heart for the elderly. It's a match made in heaven.
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I’ve heard good things about Care.com from others . . .
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I would also contact the local attorney general and find out if they have any teen programs that require community service. Tucson has a program called community justice board and the volunteers are dealing with youngsters that did something stupid and ended up in trouble with the law, no violent crimes or serious property crimes are allowed, those kids get to go through the legal system. But we have a terrible time finding activities that they can do. Maybe you could put a bug in the systems ear.

Filling a need and keeping these kids out of the legal system, it is really pretty effective.

I will be doing that locally because I know that the system is already there and in dire need of opportunities for kids to pay back to the community for putting others at risk because they made dumb choices.

It shows kids that you don't have to follow the path of a law breaker.

Helping others in need opens eyes and shows them that they don't have it so bad and it could be very difficult if choices are not improved. It also helps them have empathy for others.

Do an internet search for community services. This will help you find resources.

If I lived near you I would help you.

I hope you find a solution that works great for you and even gets you some new friends.

Hugs!
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I totally agree, Marie. I'd like that kind of program also. But doubt that schools & churches are interested. Students can't come to our houses to help us, due to liability concerns... (Worries that everyone's a pervert now, or a scammer...& background checks are necessary for just about everything). It's frustrating cuz it can stop good ideas like yours from happening. I miss when neighbors knew each other, parents & their kids helped out the elderly. Our community was rural, lots of religious folks,...people were just better than in the cities here.
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For me the time, mileage & energy savers are:
- Instacart - but kinda need to make sure grocer they use “fits”
- Waitr (or their sister co Bite Squad)
- Target red card - really this is the bomb as others have said
- Amazon Prime for streaming, shopping/delivery at home & for shopping @ WFoods and using secure delivery system at WF for some prime deliveries. WF app runs deals, like recent $10 back if you shopped & scanned code 3 times over 5 weeks. Nice!
- Chewy
- Costco.com
- Uber, although I do still use a old-school cab service which my city has
and
if you’re dealing with millennials..... Venmo.
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NeedHelpWithMom Nov 2019
Gotta love these modern conveniences, huh? Great options! Good posting, igloo.
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While it would be nice to be able to help out younger people, give them some sense of pride in work done and money in their pockets, do also consider there are some older people who would likely love some extra cash and be willing to help out as well! Running errands (unless a teen is old enough to drive, they can't help there!), yard work/gardening, light "handyman" type work. If you ask family, friends and neighbors (church if you belong to one) if they know of anyone, then at least you have a referral and would know what to expect (as some have noted, work ethic among the younger ones and even some older people isn't/wasn't instilled in the home environment!) When you find good, reasonably priced help, praise and reward with a tip and referrals!
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My2cents I laughed when I read your response as I had just received my Target order of paper towels and toilet paper . Free delivery by UPS and 5% off with my red card . We have to look at what’s good in these modern times not what’s missing or not as good as in “ my day” My kids are great but why bother them when this kind of delivery is available ? Believe me I’ll use children and grandchildren for other things . I use Shipt for groceries even tho they are a bit more expensive . I just get what I need and the savings of not impulse buying in the store makes up for it. Target is great for heavy items and my granddaughter downloaded a restaurant delivery app for me . Ain’t life grand ? On the days I’m tired and had it with cooking I order in whatever we’re in the mood for and sit down like the fancy lady I still like to pretend I am. Chewy and Amazon do wonders for me as well . I am not an Amazon Prime member but $25 to get free delivery is so easy . This all gives us time to sit outside in the evening , me with my wine , DH with some soda , and life can still be good even tho tonight DH asked why we were giving out candy if it wasn’t Halloween yet . My response? “ Well Honey I saw so many kids out I thought it would be a great idea “
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THe area agency in my county has a registry list of different people who you can hire for different tasks. Obviously,, I don't know your location or your financial status,but this may be another option to pursue.
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I have been hiring yard work for years and it is almost as big a chore as doing it myself. Sometimes I have a working lawn mower but sometimes they have to bring one to work.

I have been homeless myself for a short while and got to know some homeless folks in the community.

Whether I hire homeless folks or high school kids, good help is always short lived. They either just disappear or start being flaky after about 6 months.

Once I found my yard kids teen age brother with four other teens laying around my pool table in the garage. I had to tell him to leave several times before they’d go.

It was a little frightening because they were all bigger than me. A LOT bigger! The lawn boy was a good kid. We had to plan around his many sporting events and he was up for a scholarship for his achievements in sports.

I hear that local high schools give credits for community services but I have never had a kid ask me to document their work. They say call the schools vice principle to request help.

We have an organization call “Advancing Vibrant Solutions” that provide workers for needy folks at no or low cost fees. They are always backlogged as you can imagine, but I got a referral from them for a paid plumber that I talked to and am keeping for future reference.

I have been hospitalized and needed housekeeping help afterward that always bugs me to have to hire out. I feel I could do it better if only I was able... Maybe my standards are too high just because I’m paying out.

I only recently got a car and have been paying for rides to the grocery store, too. I think $20 a trip is more than fair but I have trouble finding takers and I hate to take advantage of my friends too often. I have a lot of groceries so it takes me a while to shop. $20 a trip adds to my grocery bill quite a bit.

My Great Grandmother-In-Law lived by herself and had a very small shopping list. She found a service to do her shopping for $12 fee. The woman’s husband even started doing small repairs around the house for free.

For all the money I loan my kids, you’d think I should never pay a dime out to outside help again but that doesn’t seem to work out so good. Oh well....

Good luck! Make sure you appreciate the jewels you may find!
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my2cents Oct 2019
Chark60-Do online order from grocery store with delivery. Walmart does it for about $10 per delivery. They have an option on each item where you can allow them to substitute out of stock items - so I always allow subs for things like roma tomatoes (they might send another type), etc. Usually I get everything on the list, but a couple of times they've been out of stock on something. Where I'm at, Doordash makes the delivery and brings it to where I ask: sometimes just inside the door, sometimes all the way to the kitchen. I give driver some cash for tip instead of paying it online after they drive away. There are quite a few items besides groceries you can get included w/the grocery delivery - paper goods, detergent, etc. This is much easier for you than to load/unload grocery purchase. Save your shopping excursions for clothing, getting out of the house, having lunch w/someone, etc.
I also do business for heavy items from stores like Sam's. My parent uses a lot of disposable pads - much easier for the UPS guy to bring to the front porch than for me to tote them out of store and up to the house. With the Plus account, shipping is always free. Been using Chewy for pet supplies and order $ amount is enough for free shipping on that, too. AND prices better than local stores. (I buy for dogs, cats, parrots)
If you aren't getting much help from family, quit being available as the family bank. Tell them you're keeping the coins to pay people to do errands and odd jobs for you. They'll either feel like heels or move on to do business at another bank.
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First seek out your nearest neighbors for kids interested in making a little money. Most kids are computer savvy and can probably help you with groceries and stamps online. You might find a teen or preteen that could come after school to do some little things for you. Maybe order groceries one day and do delivery at after school hours and they could put them away.
Actually, when I was a kid if you did this sort of thing for someone, especially an elderly person, you didn't ask for pay at all. I would have NEVER EVER thought of discussing payment from a grandparent --- unlike kids today. Simpler times??? I think it was just more respectful times.
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metoo111 Nov 2019
Hi my2cents,

I have been thinking about what you wrote about helping elderly people when you were a kid. I respect and appreciate that you did the work and wouldn't accept payment for the work.

I can remember cleaning up pine cones in my grandmother's yard. I was paid a penny for each two pine cones. She knew that my work was valuable to her but she she got the "family discount." I felt a lot of pride for helping my grandmother and think that candy tasted even sweeter since I bought it with money that I earned.

On the other hand, it does make me think more long term...was the expectation that we should give away our time for free or undervalued make it harder to know our worth as we get older? Does it discount the value of our caregiving if/when we willingly give our time away for free? Is it harder for others to respect our efforts if there isn't a paycheck attached?

I don't know that there is a correlation but would like to hear other's thoughts.
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I love the convenience of ordering online but not all seniors have that option. They don’t even own a computer or smart phone.
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my2cents Oct 2019
needhelpwithmom- but, anyone on this site searching for answers probably has the ability to order online, too. Online sure saves all the toting of items to car AND to the house...especially as we get into really hot or cold weather.
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Check out nextdoor.com to see if they are in your area.
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Besides Amazon, many stores are offering delivery services - Walmart, Peapod, feminine products and others. Many senior centers have capable senior volunteers. Ask around.
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You could get some of the items you might need delivered directly to your home. Groceries. Stamps. Pet food. Pretty Much anything from Amazon. Etc. You could even get reoccurring deliveries. If you can’t set it up yourself, get a computer literate friend to help. Good luck.
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disgustedtoo Oct 2019
Perhaps OP is also thinking of some "socializing" as well. It is usually great for the older ones to meet/spend a little time with younger people. When my son brought his little boy to mom's MC, it cheered up most of the other residents!

Certainly there are many ways to get items delivered, even stamps (easiest if one has some computer savvy.) However some people like the "personal" touch, or perhaps want to instill that same pride in work done for the young'uns.

But, for someone who needs other tasks done at their home (gardening, yard work, mowing, leaves, moving items, etc), you need someone to do the work!
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I have two teen/tween grandchildren. Their parents do not allow them to participate in Scouts (Boy Scout leader who was into child porn) and male church youth leader who abused several young girls. They allow them to help grandparents and older relatives they know, but no one out in the community. They would rather be safe than sorry with their children. Sad.
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Isthisrealyreal Nov 2019
And these pigs are allowed to remain involved with activities that involve children?
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Some communities have volunteer organizations, often in connection with local churches, who have volunteers who will help with rides to doctors, small home repairs and some yard work help for eligible senior citizens. There is usually not a charge for these services, but the volunteer organizations appreciate donations.
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Have you contacted a church regarding your needs? Many churches have youth groups as well as scouting and they may be able to help you. Another option is contacting your local middle or high school. Many schools now require studentsnto perform community service and they may be able to assist you as well. Lastly, what about the Y?
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Some churches, charitable organizations, and schools can arrange for a young person or volunteer to come over and help for a set amount of time. The youngsters usually need "volunteer hours" for graduation or to get into some colleges.
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It would be nice if churches could post names and numbers of teens who would be willing to run errands for the elderly.
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NeedHelpWithMom Oct 2019
Maybe we could all mention to our pastors that elders are in need of help and offer to chair a ministry.

Names of helpers could be listed in the church bulletin. A guest speaker would be helpful to help kids understand the situation. If they aren’t aware of issues they don’t realize how serious a situation is.

Some churches have ministries (ours does)to help families in need but it generally isn’t teens who help. It’s the adults. I cook meals sometimes to deliver to a family.

Teens do community service projects though to earn school credit. The youth groups do participate here.

My daughter goes with her friends in college and paints classrooms in schools that are in poor areas. My kid has a big heart. These schools are not in good neighborhoods. She grew up watching her dad and I volunteer so I think it came naturally to her.

My other daughter is involved in volunteering with the homeless. Again, they grew up volunteering either with me, church, scouts, school and other organizations in the community. We have church run ministries for the homeless, many of the homeless here are elderly. Yes, there are shelters. Some volunteers go and pick up donuts for breakfast from donut shops to help feed them. Otherwise, tons of donuts would just be thrown out daily.

I think it depends on life experiences too. My younger daughter ended an abusive relationship in college. She ended up having to get a restraining order on this guy. She and another friend who was being abused as well are volunteering at a crisis center for women. Statistics are pretty high for young women being abused.

I also volunteered with a shelter for women and children. I don’t speak about it usually because of painful memories but I was attacked in my youth and it effected me tremendously. So, I think sometimes our life experiences form us to have a heart to volunteer.
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I live in Ontario & here kids can't graduate high school without so many hours of volunteer service - so most do it in grades 9 & 10 so they can concentrate on their studies in 11 & 12

Because of this programme, when my mom was in NH there were several girls who came in & put nail polish on their nails as well as a chat .... my mom just loved it

Check out if there is a similar programme where you live by phoning guidance councillor at your local high school - otherwise see if a youngster can be recommended for your mini-job of errand running/shopping
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GardenArtist Oct 2019
That's an excellent idea, to incorporate volunteer service into school curricula.   I don't know if there are similar programs here in the States, but I think there ought to be.

Thanks for sharing those insights.
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Two ideas. First, is there a girl scout organization you could approach about this? Second, those students considering applying to National Honor Society require community service credits; many of those students are great kids. Contact the high school guidance department to discuss this. If you want to suggest these things indirectly, you could talk to your local council on aging and maybe they could communicate with the schools and local groups.
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In my town the senior center has a list of volunteers and many are young people, even teenagers, who will run simple errands. There must also be lists for people willing to run errands for pay. Agencies that provide home care might also have people who simply run errands. I'm sure grocery stores will deliver as well. For myself I sometimes call my grandson and pay him at least $15 an hour for things like cleaning the house gutters, moving heavy furniture, trimming bushes, etc. I was called by my grandmother a lot, so I'm carrying on that tradition.
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Check with the local Salvation army and autism care facilities. Alot of the HF adults would love JUST TO BE USEFUL.
They may require more direction than your typical helper, sometimes they can work on a volunteer basis, it gets them social contact and they are paid through the Salvation Army, not by you.

My son helped care for my older sister. She was 77 and he was 29. I could not have asked for a more dedicated helper. But the downside: everyday, repeating the same instructions.
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Many schools require "service learning" but they favor large organized activities like park cleanups and tree planting for their students. Does your helper have to be a kid? Kids have a lot more activities to do at school these days. Church members now are more likely to be older adults.

I am in my sixties and have helped my neighbors with many tasks like yard clean up, short shopping trips and rides to appointments. If you need food, medicine,stamps etc those can all be delivered. For larger jobs, do a search to see if "Task Rabbit" is in your area.
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Metoo111 I loved your response . Times have definitely changed but isn’t that the cry of every generation? I remember ( I’m 72) when as teenagers we were compared to our parents who grew up during the depression and “walked miles to school in the snow with newspaper in their shoes” I remember the Beatles were going to destroy us and so was TV. I am very lucky as an elderly woman with a husband with AD. My children and grandchildren help greatly and like others I think it’s what they saw parents and grandchildren doing as they were growing up . However life is different and lives are so busy with work , school , young children and living a bit farther away than we used to . As a gift one daughter enrolled us in one of those grocery delivery services and it’s such a life changer for me . I now can order what I need from my phone anytime I need to and within an hour it’s being carried into my kitchen . If you have a Target red card they have a 2 day free delivery and you can order anything they carry . ( plus get 5%off) Now I don’t have to wait for the evening or the weekend when my kids are able to come over . Instead I can visit with them or take a nap while they sit with their Dad ( grandfather ) I also have
a “ nextdoor “ app on my phone which is an app all your neighbors join and ask for and give access and reviews to people they have used for different projects . The one thing I’ve learned is the only constant in our lives is change so as hard as it is I’ve really tried to change with the times. It is what it is , not it is what is was unfortunately . I know where you’re coming from believe me . As my mother used to say “ old age isn’t for sissies “ and boy was she right . As a child of the sixties I actually believed LOVE was all we needed and was the magic word . She told me the magic word was adjust and I now know what she was talking about . Wish I could tell her 😂
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Invisible Oct 2019
Thank you for bringing these delivery services up and the importance of keeping up with the times. I think being adaptable is the most useful survival skill of our times. The other benefit here is that you don't have to feel obligated to anyone and wait on them. You can operate independently. That counts for something.
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I just reviewed Papa. Its a cool solution for young people to help with "elderly". I think it might be a great thing for you, assuming they are up and running in your area. https://www.joinpapa.com/media/home-health/
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Somethingelsa Oct 2019
Wow . Never knew this existed . Another great option
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Hi Marie, I agree. Kids are still kids today but many are not taught to "give back to their communities" like we were. We had the churches on every street corner opening their doors 7 days a week, helping their communities. Nowadays, we see a coffee shop, a fast food restaurant and 2 drugs stores on the four corners of our streets. Churches are open one day a week and if they do mission work, it is often to some other country, not to the person sitting in the pew next to us. As a teacher in a Christian school, we required our students to do "community service". But get this, they weren't allowed to help individuals! They could only get credit if they helped a "non-profit" business. So most of them just filed some papers in the company's offices for credit. And these were great kids who truly had a heart to help...can you hear my frustration?
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A lot of us are in the position of needing to hire help. I know gas, tires, and oil need factored in, but in observation, just how are elderly people expected to pay $20 - $25 an hour, who never earned more than $13 - $14 an hour? I know prices go up, but really? Kids live so well these days that they feel their unskilled labor is worth that much? (Obviously we aren’t in the category of having the means to pay these unrealistic unskilled labor rates, and so, we go without).
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senior2019 Oct 2019
Good Morning Girl Saylor.
I am right there with you and agree wholeheartedly. There are many wonderful children out there that would be willing to help and would do a great service to us. Problem is finding them in the area where we live. I need flower bed help, Unable to find anyone willing to do the labor for $15-25 an hour, High but willing to pay someone who is dependable, honest and willing to work. Have a Blessed and Awesome day.
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GA,

You make a good point. Both of my daughters volunteer. They grew up seeing me volunteering in the community. My kids made a fortune babysitting though. Some of my neighbors even bring babysitters on fabulous vacations with them! They play tennis, belong to social clubs, sad but they don’t spend a lot of time with their kids.

I think it’s a safety concern too. People are afraid of strangers too. We teach our kids to be cautious.

I am cautious around strangers. Once I was picking up several pizzas for a party that I was having. I couldn’t do delivery because it wasn’t a ‘chain’ restaurant. It was a local place with gourmet pizzas.

Here I was struggling with several boxes, my purse, keys, the phone out because my friend was calling, grrrr. I almost dropped the pizzas. A nice man that was in the parking lot ran over to help me manage. I got a little nervous around a stranger. He asked to give him the keys and he would open my car door.

Are you kidding? This is New Orleans, high crime, car jacking galore. No way was I going to hand him my keys. I politely thanked him, but told him that I could handle it and dumped the pizzas on the hood of my car and opened my own door.

It’s a shame that we are skeptical of others. This was a nice looking man in a business suit in a good neighborhood but that doesn’t mean anything here. Crimes happen all the time in good neighborhoods with people that don’t look like criminals.

Bottom line, better to be safe than sorry and we have to be street smart.
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Invisible Oct 2019
How sad. I would have taken the help. Give him the pizzas to hold.
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I think the issue of values and standards of young people is a relevant one.   Although I haven't done any research, I think some factors are socio-economic status (rich kids don't need to work), parental role models, initiative and drive, as well as how much youngsters are captivated by tech devices.

And whether parents are military or not is a factor as well, from what I've seen.  This segues into the category not only of parental role models, but of orientation and disposition:  some people are more oriented toward helping others; it's part of their persona.  

I think this happens more often in working class families as well.    They know what it's like to be in need of assistance. 

Think of those in "helping" professions:  law enforcement, first responders, medical, educational personnel, volunteers, and more.   They're oriented toward public reach-out, as are tradesmen.     

And from what I've observed from friends, acquaintances and cyber-friends, people coming from these kinds of backgrounds are more likely to be involved with volunteer organizations.  I don't have any statistics or bonafide research on this though - it's merely an observation.
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Invisible Oct 2019
Well, you have to tell people when you need help, whether it's family, church or other local organization. I do think kids have a lot more structured activities (sports and jobs) available to them than when I was a kid (in the 60s) and there is less emphasis on volunteering within the community. The volunteer work tends to be trips to other locations or high visibility projects. They will not notice the person next door needs assistance unless their parents notice and do something about it.
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