86 and Thriving: Duet Volunteer Stays Active by Giving Back

According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, volunteering improves physical and mental health, provides a sense of purpose and increases social interaction. It also nurtures new relationships and helps build support systems based on common interests.

Dennis Parker, an 86-year-old retiree, knows this from experience. He has volunteered for Duet: Partners In Health & Aging for 13 years, providing 190 rides to homebound adults who can no longer drive to medical appointments and the grocery store and logging hundreds of hours of service.

“When I first started volunteering, Duet’s neighbors were older than me. Now they’re younger than me,” Parker said.

Parker credits his mother with instilling the importance of volunteerism in him. A workshop about Wills and Trusts introduced him to Duet, and he learned about the organization’s growing need for volunteers.

With 118 homebound adults currently on the waiting list, Duet is always welcoming more volunteers to build connections with neighbors in Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale (south of Bell) and Fountain Hills.

For more behing this Frontdoor, visit duetaz.org/help-a-homebound-adult.