Pam McAdams is a positive person. But she was at somewhat of a loss after retiring and moving from Panama City Beach to Jasper. She came north to spend more time with her 91-year-old father; and he and her brother were the only two people she knew in her new surroundings.
“It was a culture shock,” she said, laughing about life as a newcomer in Walker County.
McAdams, who is now a very active volunteer in her community, said she has been able to find her place there only because of Positive Maturity, a United Way of Central Alabama partner agency.
Positive Maturity focuses on enhancing the lives of older adults through social services and civic engagement. McAdams was initially connected to the organization while visiting the American Red Cross (another United Way agency) in Jasper. Although based in Birmingham, it so happens that Positive Maturity has a Walker County office in the same building as the Red Cross.
That was where McAdams met Zan Brock, who leads Positive Maturity’s RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) in Walker County. After a conversation about McAdams’s interests, Brock gave her a list of social organizations in the area along with meeting times and locations.
McAdams said she told her, “I’m at just about all of these meetings, so you’ll have a friendly face, and if you don’t like one, don’t go back. But I’m sure you’re going to find something in this circle that you’ll love.”
Brock was right. Since starting her exploration, McAdams said she has found joy in working with a number of organizations focused on gardening, including the Jasper Herb Society and the Master Gardeners of Alabama, as well as a new homesteading group.
One of the most exciting projects McAdams said she has been part of is the Seed Library, housed inside the Jasper Public Library. Through the Jasper Herb Society, she works with several other volunteers to package seeds, which are made freely available at the library. To date, she said the organization has assembled more than 3,000 seed packages.
Besides the obvious public benefit, McAdams said her volunteer service has helped her find a new purpose.
“RSVP offers people a hope for another part of life. They’ve likely had a great life up to this point, but after retirement, they often have to figure out what they’re going to do from here on out. Sometimes, that’s really hard, but RSVP really helps to fill that void.”
Through RSVP, more than 1,000 senior volunteers are connected each year to different social agencies in need — on average, serving more than 150,000 hours annually. For more information about the program, click here.
UWCA Senior Support Partners & Programs
United Way is a hub for senior services including meals, in-home help, prescription access, legal aid, and caregiver support and more.
Positive Maturity
Positive Maturity offers volunteer and civic opportunities for all ages and abilities—whether through RSVP, Senior Companions, or Foster Grandparen…