The challenges of volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic

Pandemic Pivots for Older Volunteers: Online Tutoring and Pen Pal Programs

This study explored the experiences of older adult volunteers who pivoted from in-person tutoring to letter writing and online tutoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-one older adult volunteers were surveyed in the beginning and end of the school year about their experiences, including their perceived benefits, challenges, and feedback on the pandemic transition. Eleven of the surveyed volunteers participated in focus groups at the end of the school year. Perceived benefits included having a positive impact on a child's life and meaningful engagement during the pandemic, and perceived challenges included difficulty engaging students and lack of control over learning environments. The participants also suggested increasing opportunities for informal interactions with staff and students, technology training, and peer support between volunteers. There was agreement that the remote volunteering experience was not a substitute for in-person tutoring, but it was better than no volunteering at all.

Delivering a psychosocial program for older people living in retirement homes during the Covid-19 pandemic: A process evaluation and recommendations for community interventions

The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown regulations caused retirement homes to temporarily ban in-person visitation potentially increasing the mental health risks of older people. An opportunity arose for a multistakeholder community collaboration to design a mental health program for older people. To evaluate the process of delivering a 12-week psychosocial program aimed at preventing loneliness, countering boredom, and providing older people in restricted settings with education about Covid-19 during the lockdown, in Durban, South Africa. A qualitative retrospective design was used. Data from two focus groups and six semistructured individual interviews conducted with stakeholders (volunteers, social workers, and residents) postproject were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Stakeholders had varied experiences of the project, in terms of content, processes of engagement, and implementation, resulting in five themes. The study concluded with recommendations. A strong need exists for multistakeholder community collaborations when implementing a program where the context restricts physical access.