Volunteers
Volunteers are vital to The Little Red House. They play the piano and sing, provide pet therapy, play group games with participants and visit with them one-on-one, perform yard work, clerical work, and other chores, provide hospitality at our annual ice-cream social and assist with all the before, during, and after work of two major fundraising events. Because of the more than 1,000 hours of time and services we are honored to receive each year from our dedicated volunteers, The Little Red House is able to keep its fees affordable and welcome all our neighbors who need us with open arms.

Because we serve a vulnerable adult population, we conduct background checks of prospective volunteers and require they train with a staff member before working with participants.

Most of our volunteers will tell you that they get much more from our participants than they give. On this page are two stories about our volunteers.

Do you have time and a special talent or skill to offer The Little Red House? If you are interested in volunteering, please call Joan Wills-Birch, 846-5720 or e-mail joan@thelittleredhouse.org.

Generations Help Each Other
Youth volunteers are not unusual at The Little Red House. Many high-schoolers are regular helpers here. But our youngest volunteer, Alex Brower, is just ten years old. He began volunteering when he was nine.

Alex knew about the Little Red House because his grandmother had been a participant. But he never thought about how he could make a difference in the lives of participants until a chance card game with an elderly friend caused him to comment to his mother how much he enjoyed spending time with seniors. His mother suggested he might like to volunteer at the Little Red House, and he’s been riding his bicycle to volunteer here every Wednesday during the summer months for the past two years.

The photos above show Alex on one of his visits. When he arrived that Wednesday, 12 participants were seated in a circle eagerly awaiting him, and 12 faces smiled in greeting when he arrived. He played a variety of games, including beanbag toss and a sticky-ball target toss, encouraging each player and celebrating with them.

When asked what he gets from his volunteer role, Alex answered simply, “Courage.” He mused a while longer and then added, “And I think I give them a little courage, too.”

In Memorium
Staff and participants at The Little Red House were saddened at the passing of Snickers, a beloved therapy dog, in February 2009. The 13-year old black shih-tzu had been coming to The Little Red House for more than six years with owner, Charlie Edwards. Snickers was known for her gentle nature and her genuine desire to be with people.

“She had a knack for knowing who was sick or injured and gravitated to them,” Charlie explained. “Dogs seem to have a sense people don’t have that tells them when somebody needs extra attention.”

Shortly after his retirement in mid-2002, Charlie searched for a volunteer opportunity to fill his time that could include his pet and companion, Snickers. Charlie contacted Therapy Dogs International and completed a training and certification program with Snickers. Charlie has recently begun bringing his mother-in-law’s shih-tzu, T.P. (short for Tiny Panda) to The Little Red House as a therapy dog. “He will never replace Snickers,” Charlie said, “but he does bring smiles and kind words from people who normally won’t speak to anyone.”