One way for seniors in Hillsborough County to remain active and vital members of the community is to volunteer services and time to some of the county's programs for children and young adults. The county uses volunteers for an assortment of positions such as baseball coaches, game referees, park supervisors and generalized event volunteers. The county even has concessions in place for volunteers with physical limitations or disabilities, which allows just about anyone to volunteer time to help keep such programs going.
Many older adults living in the Hillsborough County area can partake in some individualized outdoor exploration made possible by the work of the Hillsborough County Parks Department. The department maintains an assortment of parks, outdoor pavilion areas, walking trails and paved walkways. This allows seniors to take walks, enjoy the outdoors or even have lunch or dinner outside in the fresh air. This type of an activity is individually controlled and seniors can choose who to take along, when to go and how long to stay. In fact, for seniors with sea legs and an affinity for the water; the department maintains four lakes with adjacent park areas. Lettuce Lake Park, Upper Tampa Bay Park, E.G. Simmons Park and Lake Park all have beach areas, boat ramps and offer both kayak and canoe rentals. For safety's sake, seniors planning on boating, fishing or exploring the outdoors alone should always make someone aware of their plans beforehand.
Hillsborough County oversees and maintains eight separate senior centers in a variety of locations. Though each center offers its own activities, events and programs; seniors can take comfort in the fact that all of the centers are under the control of the county and are thus licensed and can be considered safe and secure environments. Each center posts a monthly schedule of events and seniors can toggle between centers based on which activities strike their fancy. Some of the common activities held on a regular basis include bridge club, yoga classes, computer training lessons, painting classes, chess club, quilting classes, bingo, organized walking activities, knitting clubs, card games, billiard rooms and even scheduled field trips to various locations.
The county maintains an active listing of available activities for seniors wishing to use free time to volunteer at a variety of events, organizations, locations and situations. Hillsborough County states that senior and elderly volunteers are used for positions including light clerical duties at non-profit organizations, answering phones at the Hillsborough Library, delivering meals to residents throughout the area, helping prepare meals for the local Meals on Wheels program and working with teachers at the Hillsborough County Head Start Program by assisting with teaching and organizational duties.
