Peer-lead volunteer opportunities in the Spartanburg area 

The 2018-2019 academic year is the third year Wofford College students, under the direction of Dr. Kara Bopp, have organized and facilitated intergenerational workshops. These workshops aim to connect older adults living in the Spartanburg area with college aged students, providing the opportunity for interactions in order to grow and support each other. Most of these adults fall below the poverty line and are often away from their families, so these workshops allow them to experience encouragement, connections, and communication with young people.  

“There’s a generational gap between college students and older adults and although there may be a large age difference, but there are many similarities. They are away from their families and don’t have much communication with the outside world, much like we do in our Wofford bubbles, so it’s nice to have some fresh faces to interact with and talk to. They’re also knowledgeable about a lot of life lessons, so it’s fun to hear their stories and get advice,” Chandler Graham, Lead Fellow.  

Currently, there are seven students who create and lead these workshops weekly in seven different locations throughout Spartanburg. The workshops are typically one-hour sessions which offer a range of activities. Some activities that have been previously offered are learning to do a dance, like the modern dance the “floss,” to a writing activity about childhood or living in Spartanburg. The activities change each week and depend on the location as well.  

These workshops are great off-campus volunteer opportunities in the Spartanburg area for Wofford students. Anyone can attend by signing up on the google doc or just showing up to the location at the time listed. The locations and times of the workshops along with the fellows leading them are: 

• Mondays 3:30pm-4:30pm at the Archibald Rutledge Apartments, lead by fellow Lydia Mead 
• Tuesdays 11:15am-12:00pm at the Northwest Community Center, lead by fellow Tyrus Peoples 

• Tuesdays 3:30pm-4:30pm at Camp Croft or JC Bull Apartments (check the google doc for weekly info), lead by fellow Laura Futrell 
• Thursdays 11:15am-12:15pm at Middle Tyger Community Center, lead by fellow Vera Oberg 
• Thursdays 3:00pm-4:00pm at White Oak Manor, lead by fellow Taylor Bunge 
• Fridays 10:30am-11:30am at the Northwest Community Center, lead by fellow Ciara Albrittain 
• Fridays 3:00pm-4:00pm at the Pacifica Continuing Care Facility, lead by fellow Marshall Westbrook 

For weekly information of the locations, times, dates, and number of older adults participating, contact a fellow listed above or lead fellow, Chandler Graham. It is also always an option to simply show up and participate!  

Caption: Taylor Bunge, a senior fellow, facilitates an intergenerational workshop around the holidays, allowing students and older adults to interact while they color.