How to Use Your Free Resources
for Your Activity Program
Have you tapped into all the free resources around you?
It can be expensive running an activity program, but there are a few, free ways to create well-balanced activities for your residents to enjoy. Here are just a few resources:
Library. Coordinate with your local library to send you a box of books each month for your residents to read before sending them back. In addition, borrow CDs for your musical history activities, and DVDs for your movie or documentary nights. See our article How to Use Your Local Library’s Resources for Activity Programming.
State Government. Contact your state government’s library for the blind or for the aging to obtain free audio or talking books to borrow.
County Government. Start environmental projects like recycling or water conservation at your facility with free tips and recycling bins from your local government. Furthermore, as a marketing tool, use their representatives to give free health seminars or to set up a health fair at your facility.
Churches and Synagogues. Plan weekly visits from local rabbis, pastors, and priests to conduct religious services in your facility.
Community. Send out flyers to your facility’s neighbors stating that you are accepting donations of fresh flowers, crafting supplies, and appropriate CDs and DVDs.
Funeral Homes. Give your name and address to your local funeral home for flower donations when family members of the deceased receive an abundance of flowers. Start a Flower Club to arrange the flowers or to just hand them out to residents.
Local Schools. Recruit student volunteers from your local middle schools and high schools. Be sure to add the requirement that they must bring a recommendation from their guidance counselor – to possibly eliminate bad volunteers.
Local Historic Organizations. Arrange a monthly speaker series at your facility featuring a member of a local historic organization who can give a talk or moderate a discussion about a subject of interest.
Local Colleges. Recruit volunteers from your local colleges and universities in the form of musicians (music students) or interns (geriatric care students).