Volunteering and Seniors

During retirement, many seniors choose to use their free time to give back to the community by finding volunteer work. While the selfless duties of volunteers bring benefits to others, volunteers also reap many rewards such as:

• Learning a new skill and sampling a career that has always seemed interesting
• Sharing wisdom, skills, and talent with others in the community
• Staying physically active and mentally stimulated
• Improving self-esteem, pride, and identity
• Achieving a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
• Feeling more satisfied with life
• Socializing and making friends with others who have similar interests
• Interacting with people from younger generations and bridging
  the generation gap
• Showing the community that seniors can be productive and get involved
• Supporting an organization or cause that is personally meaningful
• Teaching children and grandchildren the importance of giving back

Finding a Volunteer Opportunity

Resources like Volunteers of America, VolunteerMatch, Civic Ventures, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) help seniors find their ideal volunteering opportunities. Visit their websites for more information. If you are looking for a local place to volunteer, try searching for schools, hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, animal and homeless shelters in your community. Inquire about the available opportunities and see which ones most closely match your interests and needs. If you look hard enough, you might even find an opportunity that rewards you for your work. For example, the Jewish Home thanks its volunteers by hosting a yearly awards luncheon and offering complimentary meals during volunteer shifts.