RESPITE & RENEWAL w/Helen Howard RN BSN

I’m a registered nurse and the Executive Director of Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee, a nonprofit serving adults with health challenges and their family caregivers. I want to share how deeply meaningful nonprofit volunteer work can be—and introduce you to a program that’s been quietly transforming lives in our community for over 30 years.

My journey with Respite Volunteers began in 1991, when I was invited to join a coalition planning a new support program for families caring for elderly loved ones at home. With experience in hospitals and mental health, and having been a caregiver myself, I understood firsthand how vital this kind of support could be.

You see, I was what’s called a “caregiving kid.” When I was nine, my mother was hospitalized, severely ill and recovering from major surgeries. At the same time, my parents separated, and my sister and I went to live with our grandparents. Just before Christmas, my mother came home to a hospital bed in the living room—still gravely ill, weighing only 98 pounds. We were told she might not survive. But she did, thanks to a skilled home health nurse—and to the help of our little family. I made her banana shakes for calories and potassium, and my sister and I learned to cook by following instructions yelled from the living room sofa. That experience shaped my belief in the power of family caregiving and the need for outside support.

In 1993, Respite Volunteers officially began services in Shiawassee County. I joined the board and later became director in 1998. Back then, we served just 14 people. Today, we serve around 85 people and their family caregivers each month.

Our volunteers provide weekly visits—friendly, social visits, not medical care. They might share a cup of coffee, go for a walk, help with email or FaceTime, or just be a trusted presence. That visit is often the only break a caregiver gets all week. For someone living alone, it might be the only visitor they see. These moments matter.
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Over time, we expanded our services to include not just seniors but adults of all ages with health challenges. We realized there were younger individuals falling through the cracks, too young for aging services yet too unwell to live independently without support. We responded, because that’s what community does.

Beyond visiting, our volunteers help with grocery trips, gardening, and office tasks. One volunteer built raised garden beds. Another has visited the same person weekly for nearly 20 years. Many of our matches become like family. Even when support is temporary, we often hear, “I don’t know what we would have done without Mary… or Bob… or Ellie.”

Most of those we serve are in their 80s, living on modest incomes, with many facing food insecurity and chronic health conditions. Some are on the Medicaid Waiver Program, which helps people stay in their homes rather than be placed in nursing facilities. Our role is to provide not just respite but connection, compassion, and community.

We also offer case management, education on caregiving and illnesses, and help navigating other services. We work hard to match volunteers with those who share similar interests or backgrounds, creating connections that last.

I truly believe our volunteers gain as much as they give. Research shows volunteering improves mental and physical health—and even helps people live longer. Especially now, people are looking for purpose. This work offers that. It’s not complicated. It’s human.

Volunteering with Respite Volunteers can be a wonderful renewal.

Learn more about Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee:
www.respitevolunteers.org

Respite Volunteers provide adults with health challenges companionship and their family caregivers respite. A volunteer usually visits on a weekly basis giving family caregivers a well deserved break and persons living alone friendly visits. Respite Volunteers help the elderly living alone and persons with disabilities to remain living safely in their home for as long as possible.