Write friendly letters in Italian - Volunteer from Home
(Letters Against Isolation)
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Position ID: V-OSH0743
Last Modified: 11 Mar 2024
Last Full Update: 11 Mar 2024
Opportunity Details: Write friendly letters in Italian - Volunteer from Home
| Contact | Lindsay, Lead Community Service Liaison, Letters Against Isolation; Email: Lindsay.G.LAI@gmail.com |
| Duties | Write friendly, personal letters in Italian to senior citizens in aged care homes and programs. Spread joy to someone in their native language!
Get started whenever you're ready by registering on our website as an individual, student, or group. We offer a program for students and student clubs requesting verification of their letters for community service credit. |
| More Info Link | https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/ |
| Benefits | Loneliness and isolation affects both mental and physical health. Your letters of love and sunshine will counteract those effects, and you may notice that you benefit from this connection, too. Develop empathy and communication skills while writing in Italian. |
| Clients | We serve around 50 Italian speakers in the greater Toronto area, with more in BC, the US, and Australia. |
| Suitable for Highschool Credit Hours | Yes |
| Suitable For | Adults (18+) ; Seniors (55+) ; Youth (12-18) ; Highschool students ; Post-secondary students ; Persons with a hearing impairment ; Men ; Women ; Newcomers / English as a second language ; Couples ; Families ; Groups ; Individuals ; Community Groups |
| Areas of Interest | Community Outreach ; Friend / Penpal ; Group / Family Volunteering ; Senior's Activity Support ; Social Interaction ; Translation / Languages / Interpretation ; Volunteer from Home / Virtual ; Writing / Editing |
| Skills/Experience | Communication & Interpersonal Skills - Craft each letter with a personal message, a considerate question, and a sincere wish. The most meaningful part of the letter is where you write about yourself - this is what makes each message unique and special. ; Counseling & Support - Demonstrate empathy and kindness, connect with elders, and help them realize that they are special and appreciated. ; Creativity - Handmade cards are welcome. Jazz up your letters with drawings, doodles, stickers, colors, jokes, and quotes! ; Dependability & Trustworthiness - We have no time or commitment requirements. We only ask that you sign up for letters in our user portal when you have letters ready to mail - and the time and postage to post them. ; Elder Care - Write meaningful messages to senior citizens in aged care homes. Keep it positive and keep in mind that they may be struggling in a variety of ways. ; Friendly & Outgoing - Write conversational letters that draw the reader into your story. ; General Computer Skills - You will choose to write to one of our partner facilities by logging into our web portal. You'll need to filter the country to Canada and filter language to Italian. We offer a pop-up tour, and our volunteers can walk you through the process. ; Patience ; Positive / Cheerful Demeanor - Keep in positive! Do not mention sensitive subjects such as religion, politics, holidays, or health. ; Self-Motivated / Work Independently - Volunteer remotely on your own schedule. ; Team Work - Groups, classrooms, clubs, and organizations are welcome to volunteer as a team. ; Translation & Languages - We're seeking skilled Italian speakers. We write letters in 30 different languages. ; Writing & Editing - Write friendly, conversational letters. |
| Commitment Length | One Time / Special Event - Groups often schedule one or more events where they collect letters. Please make sure your writers understand our guidelines. ; Short Term - We accept any level of commitment. You decide your schedule. ; Long Term - Our preference is to recruit long term letter writers. Even one letter a week or one letter a month will make a difference! ; Feel free to share this opportunity with friends, family, teachers, and Italian Heritage groups. |
| Interaction Level | Solitary - A majority of our volunteers are individuals writing from their homes. ; Small Group - Some volunteers craft cards and write letters in small groups. Grab your bestie and your neighbor and have some fun! ; Large Group - We welcome teachers, students, clubs, service organizations, and employee groups. ; Virtual Volunteering - We have no physical office or phone. We are 100% volunteer-run, and we offer support via email. ; Allow us 2 business days to respond to email messages or check our FAQ page for answers at https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/faq. |
| Dates and Times | Access our web portal 24/7. |
| Seasons | Year Round - We operate every day of the year! |
| Accessibility | Not Applicable |
| Number of Positions | Ajax ; Beaverton ; Bowmanville ; Brock ; Brooklin ; Cannington ; Clarington ; Courtice ; Durham Region ; Orono ; Oshawa ; Pickering ; Port Perry ; Scugog ; Uxbridge (Township of) ; Whitby 100 individual(s) needed in total. Our volunteers are located in the Durham region, throughout Ontario, across Canada, and around the world. We write to seniors in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia. |
| Training | Training on the job - When you log into our web portal, follow the pop-up tour to get acquainted. ; Find more info on our website, including video how-tos, guidelines, and FAQ's. Ask our volunteers for additional support. |
| Cost | Your only costs are stationery and postage. |
| Police Check | Not Required |
