Psychosocial and Economic Impacts of Intergenerational Volunteering: Lessons Learned from the Snow Buddies Program in the Niagara Region
Snow Buddies give students and adult volunteers the opportunity to be matched with a senior, helping keep their driveway/pathway clear of snow and raking leaves in the fall and spring. This assistance helps to prevent falls. A volunteer shortage for this program arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when there is a growing demand for volunteers.
Community Support Services of Niagara (CSSN) and the Age-Friendly Niagara Council partnered with Brock University researchers to attract more volunteers to the CSSN Snow Buddies program, by highlighting the social, psychological and economic contributions of current program volunteers. Findings include:
- From March 2020 to May, 2023, Snow Buddies completed 106 volunteer matches; 486 snow removal events; and spent 671 volunteer hours at an estimated value of $11,000.
- A total of $62 per volunteer shoveling task was saved from preventing slips and falls, for an estimated benefit-to-cost ratio of 0.54. A total savings of $81,398 was realized, in terms of avoided hospitalizations due to snow-related fall injuries/fractures.
Published By: Brock University and Community Support Services of Niagara (CSSN)
Publication Date: 2024
Click here to access Psychosocial and Economic Impacts of Intergenerational Volunteering: Lessons Learned from the Snow-Buddies Program in the Niagara Region
