Every once in awhile I find something that reminds me that there are solutions to problems all around — once we think outside the box.
PBS did an article on a nursing home in Netherlands that allows college students free apartments in exchange for 30 hours a month volunteering. The students do things like watch sports with the seniors, visit them if they are ill, and generally be good citizens.
How remarkable is that?
There are so many ways we could improve our lives by integrating needs this way! Seems like all colleges should be looking into offering this. The students will get as much or more out of it than the seniors, and the seniors lives will be immeasurably enhanced by young people in their midst. Heck, you could even do this in reverse and locate day care centers near senior citizen homes and have those still mentally and physically agile be playground monitors and nap time story readers! Imagine the spark of life the seniors would gain and the increase in adult to child ratio the children would have!