Senior Volunteers
Senior Volunteers are a great asset to any community.
We can fill in the gaps for both public government and private employers. We are welcomed into the workplace to help with the load... plus it helps us, the seniors, too!
Volunteer -- For You!
Most retirees won't find happiness sitting at home... unless you are busy with retirement hobbies or a busy lifestyle. That doesn't fit most of us!
We long for the day when we have all the time in the world for our own retirement activities, but suddenly you have so much time, loads of free time.
What will you do during your previous working hours... what will you do with 40 free hours, week after week? What will you do, all day, every day, post-retirement?
What will you do in retirement?
Click to view on Amazon!
You have lived a life of working -- in the home, for your employer, for yourself. You can't simply retire to the rocking chair -- even if you aren't physically active, we must keep the brain working... even crossword puzzles, reading books, or computer fun will help.
Most people need more -- some level of responsibility, some type of structure to retired life. You actually need a reason to get up in the morning! Here is MY story, when I volunteered for an emergency homeless shelter at our church... this was a Life Lesson about Volunteering for me!
WHY do you want to keep busy? Everything you do is an adventure in Life!
You'll find new friendships, maintain your self-esteem, find creativity in your life, develop new skills (never stop learning), and just generally find fun and contribute towards your well-being while helping others too!
Well, if you are sitting in the house, bored to death, why not get out and meet some new people? By volunteering, you get both physical activity moving about (instead of becoming a couch potato) and you also get mental activity to keep you thinking correctly. It's simply a Win - Win for You and the Employer!
Here are some Volunteer Quotes from important folks who know the wisdom of volunteering.
Ruthie volunteered at the local community college theater after she retired. She loved it. She answered calls, took reservations, sold tickets -- and she got to see the shows for free. Worked out perfectly for her... what fun! Guess what?
Before I knew it, Ruthie was working full time for the college... she volunteered, did her job well, and they offered her a full time job. I remembered how thrilled she was.. collecting her pension and now a second salary as a younger retiree! AND the employer got to see what a great employee she was, first hand, before she was even hired! IT was a win-win or both employee and employer!
Volunteer Sites online can help you too... all of them allow you to search locally for volunteer opportunities.
Senior Volunteer for CASA - becoming a Child Advocate for children who needs a hand in life!
Americorps (local volunteer opportunities) is another site. I entered my zip code, and "retirement" and "seniors" as keywords, and 28 opportunities came up on my screen. If I didn't like any of them, I'd use new keywords, "websites", "typist ", "library", etc, until I found something that sounded interesting to me.
SCORE is a volunteer agency, part of the U.S. Small Business Administration, full of retired volunteers who counsel small businesses.
The HUD website (Housing and Urban Development) has oodles of volunteer opportunities: local, national parks, Red Cross, Big Sisters Big Brothers, American Cancer Society, and so much more. There are several Volunteer Clearing Houses at the bottom that will help you find a match with your skills and abilities.
Have you ever considered international travel as a volunteer opportunity? What about the Peace Corps?
Another retiree, Karen, retired and left a mental health counselor position to join the Peace Corps! I was so shocked... just when you are ready to live in relative stability and comfort in retirement, and this gal packs all her lifetime belongings into a storage unit and heads to South America for two years!
Guess what? She enjoyed her mission, teaching English, so much that she stayed for a second two years! What a wonderful way to start off your retirement by giving back to the world!
You can search Google below for local volunteer ideas, for example, I might try: "Michigan senior volunteers". Try your own state, or even city/state to see what pops up. If nothing that appeals, try again in a few days!
Check out what some visitors have shared about their Volunteer Experiences! (Oodles more below)
I might volunteer at some point, give back to my community... but for now, I have retired to the internet!
Chuck delivers Meals on Wheels, helping other seniors.
Danny spends time volunteering to Feed the Homeless, community help is always needed.
Ruthie found a great opportunity at the Philadelphia Film Festival.
Bob appreciated art so his idea was volunteering at an Art Museum.
Share your two cents on Volunteering...
If you have previously volunteered, please share your experience to give other retirees both ideas on where they might consider volunteering and how you liked that position (or not!)
Do you have an experience to share with others to put "volunteering" into perspective?
Check out some Volunteer Experiences...
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Volunteer
I encourage others to volunteer but Choose carefully as your reward should be satisfaction.
Love animals? Try out a local animal shelter.
Are …
Rethink Retirement
I'm the founder of Encore Geelong Network - a small group of modern elders too young to retire.
And since my wife died 18 months ago, I visit my son …
Lonely-Volunteer
Like many Seniors I am retired and after a short time began to feel isolated. So I started exploring volunteering.
There are Animal shelters, Hospitals, …
Lonely-Volunteer
Like nanny Seniors I am retired and after a short time began to feel isolated.
I started exploring volunteering. There are Animal shelters, Hospitals, …
Plan didn't pan out
I thought I had the perfect plan for retirement. Worked for the same firm for 37 years and did not retire until I was 81.
My daughter convinced me …
Volunteer Group for Veterans
Hi, Retired 3 times and now at age 76 I've started a Volunteer Group for Military Veterans at a ALF.
Just 1 - 1 1/2 hour of just discussing their …
Volunteering at National Park
I live near Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I volunteer at the visitors center once a week, involved in their Questing program all summer, am taking a nature …
Volunteer: child carer, also animals and the elderly.
I am qualified in two fields, Child care with teaching, animal care, and office work, I was a secretary. So when my Mother passed away, I trotted along …
Been There and Done That!
I have volunteered at various thrift shops in my area because these thrift shops contribute back into the community.
As I am a leader/innovator, making …
ESL Volunteering
Many communities have ESL programs within their high schools, and libraries often have 'conversation circles' for new immigrants.These are free of charge, …
Volunteer: Helping others
September 11 changed many lives. Whether you actually lost someone or not, the shift in attitude sticks with me. My husband calls it re-organizing one's …
Recording tech.books for blind students
My wife and I volunteered to a studio that recorded books to CD's and DVR.
I marked the books for the reader and director. The reader in a sound proof …
Volunteer: Games and Things...
I came upon an ad one day while reading the local paper! A young woman was looking for a volunteer to come to her home to spend time with her partner, …
Ya Never Know Who You'll Meet Volunteering: Viet Nam Vets
I've mentioned in other postings on this site that I volunteer at a hospital a few days a week. I find it a pleasure serving others and bringing a smile …
Retirement Volunteer: Help animals find new homes
Hey folks,
After 30.4 years in education I retired in December 2010. For a year or so I did exactly what I wanted to do. But I was always conscious …
Retirement Volunteering: Passing on the Christian Faith
I found myself at a loss as to what to do once I retired (at 67). I want to continue to contribute to my community but I am not sure how and I am not the …
1983 FIRST EXPERIENCE - OLD AGE HOME
The home was across the street and over the tracks, I passed it fairly often coming & going, always wondering what went on in there with those old folks? …
Retirement - It ain't so bad
Retirement-That's a word commonly associated with being put out to pasture because we're at the end of our useful life; no longer productive, no longer …
Wise Penny Thrift Shop
I was looking for something to do and asked to volunteer at the local thrift shop.
I now work 1 day a week unpacking donations and pricing them. …
Retirement volunteer at Food Bank
I did not intend to 'retire' until I was 70 years old, however, I was laid-off from my last job during the current economic slump. Jobs were scarce, and, …
Senior Volunteers:
Stand Up For a Cause
Become a Child Advocate Volunteer
Become a Child Advocate Volunteer in your retirement!
Now that you’ve retired, you finally have all the time in the world to do the things you’ve …
April is National Volunteer Month
When I moved to Spokane, Washington in 1972, I got involved with other Californians in "Buttercup Recycling," saving newspapers, cardboard, aluminum …
Husband Still Volunteers at Age 97
Both my husband and myself have spent a great deal of time as volunteers since we retired. We have done a great deal of executive work for senior organizations …
Retiree Volunteers: Helping Others
My husband and I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. So far, my husband has built three homes for people and he has worked on another home which was occupied …
Retired: Habitat for Humanity Scrapbook
My husband swings a hammer for Habitat for Humanity. I wanted to get involved too but knew that my hammer skills weren't up to par.
I did the next …
Working as volunteer as artist
I did 28 paintings for Gujarat Vidyapith, an University established by Mahatma Gandhi at Ahmedabad as volunteer.
Paintings are put on Library, Guest …
RSVP Volunteer
(Retired Senior Volunteer Program)
with 20+ Years
I was Director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program for 6 1/2 years in the 1980s. The day after I retired I signed up as an RSVP volunteer.
Each …
Kindergarten Volunteer as a Retiree
The best volunteer position I've held as a retiree was when I worked as an in-classroom assistant in the public schools.
I helped out one day a week …
Walmarts Greeter in Retirement
I retired in 2003 after working for 40 years at a law firm in Tampa, Florida.
I am married with seven grandchildren and frequently take vacations …
Retirement Volunteering Fun at Salvation Army Stores
For the last 10 years that I worked (as a legal secretary whose title was changed to legal assistant as the 90s progressed), all I could think about was …
My retirement volunteer experiences
I have done quite a bit of volunteering in Steamboat since retiring. In general most experiences were positive and I'm going to go into some detail with …
Senior Volunteers at Homeless Shelter
My life has been full, and filled with joys.
So, when I retired, at first I just relaxed and soaked up the leisure and recreation that an empty schedule …
Humane Society Volunteer after Retirement
One of the recent volunteer activities I was able to help out with was working at the local Humane Society.
My wife and I have always loved animals, …
Volunteers and Reads the News for Radio, In His Retirement.
Here in my hometown, we have a radio station for the blind and print-handicapped. Volunteers read the local newspaper every morning of the week and taped …
Retired and Volunteers at the Library
I volunteer once a week at the Donation Center of the San Francisco Public Library. This started two weeks after I retired.
The location is a 2 story …
Retired and Local Newspaper volunteer
Our local newspaper was sold to a young man several years ago and he needed volunteer help until he could get the circulation built up and show a profit. …
Senior Volunteers at Meals On Wheels & More...
Currently, I deliver meals to seniors once a week. There are eleven meals to deliver and it takes about one hour including drive time.
The only problem …
Senior Volunteers at Church to Feed Homeless
Recently, I have started to volunteer at my church, Asylum Hill Church.
I have started to go in when I am able and serve food to the homeless, as well …
Senior Volunteer at Philadelphia Film Festival
For the past two years, I have been a volunteer for the Philadelphia Film Festival.
Held for several weeks each March, the film festival is one of …
Senior Volunteer at Public Library
I volunteered at at the main branch of a public library in a major city. My schedule was flexible but I usually worked at least two days a week from 10:00-2:00pm. …
Senior Volunteer at Art Museum
I was bored with retirement so I volunteered at the heard Art Museum.
I was able to work in the shop and share some time with people who had the same …
Volunteerism
I was surprised that volunteering wasn't listed as a hobby for retirees. I have never been bored or without something to do.
I volunteer for hospice …
SIGN UP: Retirement Insider
Search Site Here