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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview With Tess Scannell, Shirley Lee Brown

Aired July 05, 2003 - 07:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The search is on nationwide for seniors who have the volunteer spirit. Maybe that's you or someone you know.
For more, the director of Senior Corps, Tess Scannell, and volunteer Shirley Lee Brown join us from Washington.

Good to see both of you.

TESS SCANNELL, DIRECTOR, SENIOR CORPS: Thank you.

SHIRLEY LEE BROWN, SENIOR CORPS VOLUNTEER: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: All right, so you guys have, you know, cast the net out there. You're looking for about 100,000 volunteers, mostly seniors, or at least those who are 55 and older. You're asking for people to kind of volunteer their services because they still have a lot to teach and a lot to pass on to a number of people out there.

How are you trying to recruit folks?

SCANNELL: Well, the Senior Corps is a network of programs that matches the talents and experience and skills of seniors over 55 with many opportunities in their communities. And we -- the Ask A Friend campaign is designed to respond to the president's call for 100,000 more senior volunteers aged 55 and over to get involved in their community.

And we have a Web site, volunteerfriends.org. And we're asking people to respond because we know that the primary reason that people volunteer is that they're asked. And so we're asking people to volunteer and to ask a friend to volunteer and go to volunteerfriends.org.

WHITFIELD: And, so, Tess, some of the video we're seeing now, we're seeing people who look like they're offering some tutoring skills to some young people. I understand that sometimes you are requiring or asking of some of these volunteers to help people learn crafts, even learn things kind of around the house, managing your money, etc.

What are some of the skills that you're drawing upon outside of that?

SCANNELL: Whatever people are interested in. What we find is that people want to be asked and they want to volunteer in an area that means a lot to them, where they can make a difference, where they have a passion. And so people are working with children, they're working with visiting home bound elderly. They're also working in the environment. And absolutely 9/11 created and awakened a sense of community spirit in people. And they're definitely responding to that impose by getting involved with their local Citizen Corps councils, the Red Cross, to prepare for disasters of all kinds.

WHITFIELD: And Shirley, you are a volunteer. You're someone who has volunteered your services. How do you encourage others? What are some of the rewards that you end up getting by volunteering your time?

BROWN: Well, I was actually volunteering long before I became a senior, helping out with the seniors then. And now becoming a senior, it's just like they volunteer to do something, as they say, they really like to do, to help out in any businesses, like backlog workup or they can do the little things around the house for other people. Or they can do many other arts and crafts. And I can do all of those, too, and help them out.

WHITFIELD: And did you feel like many times people feel after they're retired, that they feel kind of under utilized or, you know, under kind of represented, even, and maybe even kind of under appreciated. And if that was a feeling that you had, do you feel like this kind of fills that void now that you feel like you're able to kind of pass on some lessons that you've learned?

BROWN: Well, I never really felt that way, but I would encourage people to come out rather than just sit in the home doing nothing at all, to do something they really enjoy doing and having fun doing it -- arts and crafts or showing them the little trips that they have, the luncheons that they have. They just have so many programs out there.

WHITFIELD: And, so, Tess, you said it's volunteerfriends.org. That's a Web site that people can go to.

SCANNELL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: How else might they be able to volunteer or kind of raise their hands and say sign me up?

SCANNELL: Well, we'd like them to go to volunteerfriends.org and put in their zip code and then they'll be asked a lot of questions about what their areas of interest are. Do they want to work on the environment? Do they want to work in disaster preparedness? And then a lot of opportunities in their local area will appear.

And if not, go to a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a community organization in your community and get involved and ask a friend. Mobilize your friends and get them involved and have some fun while you're doing it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tess Scannell, the director of Senior Corps, and Shirley Lee Brown, a volunteer for Senior Corps, thanks very much ladies for joining us.

BROWN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, have a great weekend.

SCANNELL: Thanks.

BROWN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 5, 2003 - 07:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The search is on nationwide for seniors who have the volunteer spirit. Maybe that's you or someone you know.
For more, the director of Senior Corps, Tess Scannell, and volunteer Shirley Lee Brown join us from Washington.

Good to see both of you.

TESS SCANNELL, DIRECTOR, SENIOR CORPS: Thank you.

SHIRLEY LEE BROWN, SENIOR CORPS VOLUNTEER: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: All right, so you guys have, you know, cast the net out there. You're looking for about 100,000 volunteers, mostly seniors, or at least those who are 55 and older. You're asking for people to kind of volunteer their services because they still have a lot to teach and a lot to pass on to a number of people out there.

How are you trying to recruit folks?

SCANNELL: Well, the Senior Corps is a network of programs that matches the talents and experience and skills of seniors over 55 with many opportunities in their communities. And we -- the Ask A Friend campaign is designed to respond to the president's call for 100,000 more senior volunteers aged 55 and over to get involved in their community.

And we have a Web site, volunteerfriends.org. And we're asking people to respond because we know that the primary reason that people volunteer is that they're asked. And so we're asking people to volunteer and to ask a friend to volunteer and go to volunteerfriends.org.

WHITFIELD: And, so, Tess, some of the video we're seeing now, we're seeing people who look like they're offering some tutoring skills to some young people. I understand that sometimes you are requiring or asking of some of these volunteers to help people learn crafts, even learn things kind of around the house, managing your money, etc.

What are some of the skills that you're drawing upon outside of that?

SCANNELL: Whatever people are interested in. What we find is that people want to be asked and they want to volunteer in an area that means a lot to them, where they can make a difference, where they have a passion. And so people are working with children, they're working with visiting home bound elderly. They're also working in the environment. And absolutely 9/11 created and awakened a sense of community spirit in people. And they're definitely responding to that impose by getting involved with their local Citizen Corps councils, the Red Cross, to prepare for disasters of all kinds.

WHITFIELD: And Shirley, you are a volunteer. You're someone who has volunteered your services. How do you encourage others? What are some of the rewards that you end up getting by volunteering your time?

BROWN: Well, I was actually volunteering long before I became a senior, helping out with the seniors then. And now becoming a senior, it's just like they volunteer to do something, as they say, they really like to do, to help out in any businesses, like backlog workup or they can do the little things around the house for other people. Or they can do many other arts and crafts. And I can do all of those, too, and help them out.

WHITFIELD: And did you feel like many times people feel after they're retired, that they feel kind of under utilized or, you know, under kind of represented, even, and maybe even kind of under appreciated. And if that was a feeling that you had, do you feel like this kind of fills that void now that you feel like you're able to kind of pass on some lessons that you've learned?

BROWN: Well, I never really felt that way, but I would encourage people to come out rather than just sit in the home doing nothing at all, to do something they really enjoy doing and having fun doing it -- arts and crafts or showing them the little trips that they have, the luncheons that they have. They just have so many programs out there.

WHITFIELD: And, so, Tess, you said it's volunteerfriends.org. That's a Web site that people can go to.

SCANNELL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: How else might they be able to volunteer or kind of raise their hands and say sign me up?

SCANNELL: Well, we'd like them to go to volunteerfriends.org and put in their zip code and then they'll be asked a lot of questions about what their areas of interest are. Do they want to work on the environment? Do they want to work in disaster preparedness? And then a lot of opportunities in their local area will appear.

And if not, go to a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a community organization in your community and get involved and ask a friend. Mobilize your friends and get them involved and have some fun while you're doing it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tess Scannell, the director of Senior Corps, and Shirley Lee Brown, a volunteer for Senior Corps, thanks very much ladies for joining us.

BROWN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, have a great weekend.

SCANNELL: Thanks.

BROWN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com