For the fourth year in a row, members of the National Honor Society will be aiding volunteers from the Agency for Aging in York Suburban’s Medicare Signup Event. Held on two evenings in the fall, students assist the elderly in Suburban’s community by helping to find Medicare suitable to their individual needs.
According to Sallie Spanswick, advisor of NHS, signing up for Medicare can be a very complicated task. Especially for those not familiar with technology. Students enter the beneficiary’s health information into computers and develop the skills needed to interact with people outside their age group. Once the beneficiary’s health information is entered into the system, it narrows down programs to ones that would most benefit them.
This event is not only an investment of time for NHS members, but also an opportunity to show the elderly they are cared for. It focuses on establishing a connection between young and the old, which Spanswick finds to be one of the greatest benefits from the experience.
“It gives them a positive view of youth,” Spanswick said. She describes the event in past years as eye-opening for all participants. With this particular volunteering opportunity, students gain insight on a matter that they will eventually face as adults. Students are incredibly patient with the process; many of the attendees are surprised by how kind and helpful the students are.
NHS members hope to gain experience by interacting with all age groups and learning to be representatives of the honor and diligence taught at YSHS. The responsibility, integrity, and maturity needed to volunteer for this event are the main reason NHS handles it, but the experience also serves to set a model for other schools and students.
This year, sign-ups will take place on October 27 and November 20 for two and a half hours in the gymnasium.