Volunteer Month: Join TRAIL's Volunteers Today

Ana Isabel Peterson experienced up close the help that people need as they age not long after she moved to Iowa City in 2019, when her grandmother contracted COVID-19 and experienced many mental health effects of isolation in the nursing home where she lived.

She was fortunately asymptomatic, but they didn’t want her exposed again so the family moved her out of the nursing home into Ana’s household, including her husband and two children, now age 11 and 13. Ana cared for her grandmother full-time until her array of other health issues eventually required more care than she could provide and they moved her back into a retirement home when the pandemic eased.

The experience reinforced her belief that older adults should be able to live at home until they decide to move elsewhere themselves or their health reaches a point where they need specialized care.

She had previous experience working with organizations that assist aging adults to stay in their homes and continued this work by joining TRAIL of Johnson County in 2022. She’s served as a driver for TRAIL members and has helped with tasks such as putting together furniture and providing fire safety services. She is also a member of TRAIL’s Social and Educational Programs Committee.

Ana especially values the relationships she makes with the TRAIL members she’s met through her volunteering.

April is National Volunteer Month, a great time to get involved with TRAIL. Learn more about visiting our volunteer page on the web at trailofjohnsoncounty.org/get-involved/volunteer. If you’re interested in becoming a TRAIL volunteer, contact Jessica Hahn, member and volunteer service coordinator, at 319-800-9003 or at membersupport@trailofjohnsoncounty.org.