This is also something that would be great to involve the kids in. It teaches them compassion for others and gives them also a sense of gratification for helping others in need. Helping others in need in small ways can be more appreciated than even imagined. In the life of a homebound person it can be very lonely and frustrating. Having a new friend that can be counted is just what may be needed.

I began doing this kind of work myself about five years ago. I had been working at a local adult care home. I was just getting burned out. It was so hard to see the people in there that had given up hope because they felt that they had no choice but to be there. So many of them ended up there out of circumstance, having no way to take care of things when they were at home. Their families were too busy to assist them so they felt that they had no choice but to place them somewhere where their needs could be met. After about a year of working there, I got the idea that I wanted to do something to help these people that were still in their homes and hopefully keep them from the same fate as the residents that I had been working with at the adult home.

So how do you get started? Determine what time you have available, what kind of schedule you are willing to commit to. What kind of errands or chores that you are willing to do? What kind of a rate you are going to set? How far are you willing to travel to someone’s house? Have all of these things determined before you advertise so that you will know how to answer people’s questions when you get calls.

Now for the advertising. Well you can advertise in your local newspaper that you are available for assisting with errands and household chores. I think that you will be surprised at the calls that you will receive. You can also advertise on public bulletin boards. There are a lot of family members of these people that don’t have the time to assist as much as they would like to due to their own families and careers that may see these bulletin boards. A lot of times they will contact you to get help for their mother, father, etc.. There are plenty of these types of jobs available in every community, you just need to tap into them. While the pay is negotiable and usually not extravagant it makes a great part-time job with its own perks.

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