The role of volunteering in community life
In this article, Gina Plata, Chief of Community Life at 2Life Communities, shares her thoughts on the critical role and importance of volunteering in community life.
As 2Life’s incredible growth continues, my role is to balance standardizing our programs and practices while maintaining the unique personal connections that make every 2Life campus such a wonderful place to live. Ultimately, our mission is about more than providing high-quality affordable housing. We are building communities where older adults can age at their full potential.
Volunteerism is a vital part of each community, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose among residents, staff, and volunteers alike. The Opus model for middle-income seniors expands upon this by relying on residents to commit to ten volunteer hours per month. By volunteering their time and talents, residents will play an essential role in creating an engaged and supportive community.
2Life’s work has never been more crucial or timely. The demand for affordable senior housing and services is growing rapidly, and studies indicate the U.S. is ill-equipped to meet the changing needs of an aging population. We believe our approach — tapping into the power of community — will be crucial to successfully addressing this issue.
What’s impressive about 2Life is our ability to excel at what we do while collaborating with experts in other fields. For example, we aren’t healthcare experts, but we partner with healthcare providers to give residents access to healthcare services.
Interestingly, my professional career journey began as a volunteer. In 2003, I arrived in the U.S. from Mexico. As a new immigrant, I sought social connections and the opportunity to engage in meaningful work. I knew how intimidating the language barrier could be, so I volunteered to work with other young Spanish-speaking moms, helping them learn English, find career paths, and acclimate to a new culture. This first foray into volunteering allowed me to increase my social capital and opened the door to career possibilities I never imagined.
The spirit of volunteerism is woven into everything we do at 2Life, and it has fostered strong, interconnected communities at each of our campuses. Although it is difficult to choose a favorite memory, I love to share a special “wow” moment that demonstrates what makes our communities so unique. Recently, Coleman House celebrated a resident’s 100th birthday. Every resident and staff member joined in the celebration. That example of everyone coming together to celebrate a resident’s special milestone illustrates what community means to all of us at 2Life, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.
