New Volunteer Group Empowers People Living with Dementia

Sometimes, simple conversations spark beautiful ideas. During a recent town hall meeting, our Adult Day Club members were talking about things they enjoyed doing but can’t anymore. “It could be driving or working, but a couple of club members brought up volunteering,” club manager Sara Meins explains. “They really miss going out into the community to do something good for others, instead of having others do things for them.”

That conversation inspired the creation of Helping Hands, a new campus group open to the entire dementia community. Volunteer activities are structured so they are enjoyable and manageable for people with cognitive decline — never overwhelming.

“They’ve made hand-painted bookmarks to donate to a library and squeezable stress balls for a women’s shelter,” Sara says. These kinds of activities can also be therapeutic, helping people work through steps and processes.

ASU Biological Sciences and Psychology student Nour Hassan is thrilled to facilitate the group. “It’s such a joyful atmosphere while we’re doing projects,” she says. “With the stress balls, we were struggling to funnel the flour into the balloons, and one participant had the idea to blow air into them to make it easier. It worked great! It is so cool to see people channel their creativity.” 

Sara says volunteering is empowering and elicits strong emotions: “It fills their buckets. It gives them purpose and reminds them that they can still give back to our community. Being a helper is just human nature, and giving back brings back feelings they sometimes think they’ve lost.”

Helping Hands meets on campus the first Friday of each month, from 11a.m.-noon. For more information, call (602) 767-8300.