With the start of the new year, people across the Valley are looking for resolutions to bolster their health and wellbeing. Local nonprofit, Duet: Partners In Health & Aging, is encouraging compassionate individuals to look toward volunteering as a fulfilling way to serve their community while meeting their 2024 goals.

“The new year is a time for new beginnings and new hope,” says Ann Wheat, executive director, Duet: Partners In Health & Aging. “Becoming a volunteer now is so much more than providing services, it’s about creating a meaningful connection that mutually benefits both parties. Isolated adults and seniors who seek services through Duet often forge strong friendships with their volunteers and share with us that the time they spend with their volunteer is the highlight of their week.”

And those acts of kindness can be a big boost for the health of the volunteer as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, volunteering offers significant health benefits, including:

· Improvements to physical and mental health – Volunteering keeps people moving, in turn increasing their physical activity. It has also been shown to reduce stress and increase positive, relaxed feelings, leading to lower rates of depression and anxiety.

· Fostering a sense of purpose – Volunteers provide vitally needed, free-of-charge services, essential to helping homebound adults in the Valley to remain living independently.

· Nurturing new and existing relationships – By providing services that put them in contact with homebound adults, volunteers are helping increase social interactions for both parties. In many cases, volunteers and neighbors have formed life-long friendships, building stronger relationships and support systems.

Homebound adults, affectionately known as “neighbors” by Duet staff and volunteers, are no longer able to drive and may face challenges in accessing public transportation. Vital services provided by Duet’s volunteers include grocery shopping and rides to medical appointments.

Duet volunteers set their own hours and are matched with homebound adults close to where they live and work, allowing them to commit to a New Year’s Resolution that won’t interfere with work and life.

Right now, there are 100 homebound adults waiting to be matched with compassionate volunteers. Duet is looking for caring volunteers in Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale (south of Bell Road).

The first step to becoming a Duet volunteer is to attend an orientation. Contact Duet to RSVP for an orientation at (602) 274-5022 or visit duetaz.org/help-a-homebound-adult.

About Duet: Partners In Health & Aging:
Duet is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote health and well-being through vitally needed services to homebound adults, family caregivers, and grandfamilies. Duet’s free-of-charge services are available in the greater Phoenix area. To volunteer, donate or ask for help, go to http://www.duetaz.org or call (602) 274-5022.