The April issue of the Advocate we featured LH resident Molly Bogen, a neighbor who has worked at the Senior Source, an East Dallas nonprofit serving older adults for more than 30 years. Since we have limited space in the magazine, we didn’t get to touch on each of the many programs under the Senior Source umbrella. One program Molly told me about during our interview was the “Off Our Rockers” mentoring program. While many of the Senior Source programs focus on serving senior citizens in need, “Off Our Rockers” gives active seniors a chance to serve, by tutoring and mentoring students in area elementary schools.
I’ve always found one of the fastest ways to help myself and to make myself feel better — when I’m feeling low, worried, overwhelmed, lonely — is to reach out to someone else in kindness or service. Whether it’s taking time to talk to a new neighbor, calling to check on an old friend, actively assisting someone with a difficult task, or volunteering somewhere — it works every time. So I understand why the seniors who participate in this program by helping those students most in need, ultimately feel stronger and healthier themselves. You can find out more about the program here.