Colorado Springs, Colorado (NAPSI) - With a background in business, baby boomer Brenda Granger was interested in learning more about her community and human services. She also wanted to make life better for older adults in her community.

A friend told her about Maintaining Active Citizens (MAC, Inc.), an Area Agency on Aging on Maryland’s eastern shore. It had so many pleas for assistance from older adults that its staff members couldn’t keep up.

So Granger, working with the agency’s Special Projects Director, spearheaded a project to support overloaded staff. Now she is forming teams of volunteers that will help older adults and caregivers learn about and apply for home care, financial help and other services.

Granger served in ways different from that of a traditional volunteer. First, she researched similar projects nationwide and wrote a strategic plan. Then, she created materials to recruit volunteers: job descriptions, brochures and more. Soon, she will train and help lead the new recruits.

Granger learned how to start this project by attending the PowerUP! Training Institute, new from the Aging Network’s Volunteer Collaborative.

Do you have special skills you’d like to use to help older adults? Learn more at www.PowerUPVolunteers.org.