Difference Making. Become a Volunteer.

As we watched or read about the damage from the Texas floods, we saw images of drawn faces, swollen eyes and tears of those who lost loved ones. It was a pure tragedy. However, many people from all over the country rushed there to volunteer to look for bodies, clean up and rebuild, feed, house and nurture those affected. They were desperately needed.

Volunteering is a tangible way to make a difference in others’ lives and transform your own in the process. Nearly anyone, regardless of age, can volunteer, and it’s not limited to times of tragedy but can happen during everyday moments. You provide help to others without any financial compensation, and you can do so at any age.

For this blog, we decided to focus on those who do so when they’re mostly retired or not working as much, a perfect time to turn spare hours into purposeful action. It costs little or minimal dollars in most cases, yet it is guaranteed to light up the pleasure centers of your brain without you having to pop pills or stuff your face with sugar and carbs. We’ve each pursued different types of volunteer work while we’ve worked and are ramping up efforts now as we age and are able. We and others have found the rewards priceless; here’s why: 

·       Volunteering is good for your head and your heart.  You are needed and appreciated.

·       It gives you purpose and a reason to get up in the morning or any time of day.

·       It’s a great way to meet new people in a collaborative endeavor.

·       There is no timecard to punch, no boss looking over your shoulder, though you may have a supervisor or others to offer ways to make efforts productive.

·       There is no performance review.

·       It’s a great way to step out of your comfort zone, have new experiences and learn something new.

·       You control the time you put in.

·       If the volunteer job isn’t a good fit or you don’t like those you work with, you aren’t stuck. You can find something else that resonates better.

·       The payoff isn’t in dollars; it’s in feel-good gains.  What could be a better return on investment of time or ROI-T than doing good?

For many, the toughest decision is what to do.  It comes down to what works for you and where you’re needed. There most likely is a jukebox of volunteer possibilities in your community. Just pick and press your selection, then give it a go. 

We offer some suggestions that are just the tip of the iceberg. For other ideas, check volunteer websites, nonprofits’ newsletters, community organizations, temples, and church sites to see if there are any opportunities. As always, we welcome your ideas. Please put them in the comments section at the bottom of this blog. 

Kids

Help kids “beat the odds” by becoming a mentor or foster grandparent. Befriend a child with special needs. Go into an elementary school and serve as a teacher’s aide or tutor to ramp up kids’ reading, writing and math skills. Work in a school library. Retired professionals, such as doctors, dentists, attorneys, or CPAs, can mentor or advise young people who aspire to practice medicine or engage in a scientific career, such as dentistry. There are career days at schools where you can share a love of law, entrepreneurship or journalism. 

Your volunteer work can also reflect a love of other interests. Volunteer to work with kids (or adults), teaching them how to listen to music, read it, write it, play or sing it. Lead or join a church or temple choir. Advocate in court for kids in the foster care system who have been neglected and abused. Teach the kids skills that they need to survive outside the foster care system. Help kids find a suitable foster care placement or learn independent living skills. Teach how to play golf or tennis to those whose families can’t afford lessons.

Love to bake? Here are other options to inspire children to become a baker or a chef, or even just earn some extra money on the side. Help by sharing a recipe, teaching them how to make a piecrust or bake and frost a cake. One caterer we know did this in an inner-city public school for a group of 10th-grade girls.

You can also teach children how to get involved politically and try to change the system by writing letters to congresspeople. Or get them involved in the inner workings of their community to start or improve an after-school program. Or go help in a local hospital by swaddling babies of mothers going through addiction withdrawal at a time when nursing staff is very pressed. 

Seniors

Consider spending time with a senior who has no family or few members living nearby and who might be lonely. We know that loneliness and social isolation can be bad for your health, and some are calling it an epidemic. Help seniors budget and avoid financial scams. Help those aging in place by offering to change light bulbs, do shopping and errands, take them to a doctor or dentist or even out for a simple adventure to a park or to a diner for an ice cream. Many love to play games whether canasta or bridge or just sit together and listen to their stories, so they don’t feel invisible. They want and need an audience with the outside world; become that bridge. Deliver Meals on Wheels to disabled people and seniors who are homebound. It’s a chance for you to check and interact with them when many have been isolated.

Any age 

Volunteer in a hospital to check on patients as some of us did as “Candy Stripers” when we were young; become a docent at a museum, read to the blind, become a patient advocate in a health care center when many of any age know how so many are scared of getting test results or undergoing a procedure. 

You can also write postcards during an election year or have a pen pal/email pal overseas in a war zone such as Ukraine, Sudan or Israel/Gaza. Maybe teach some English on Zoom. Or if you’re proficient in a foreign language teach others French, Spanish, Hebrew or Arabic. 

If you’re a recovering drug or alcohol addict, become a counselor or group facilitator. For nurses or other health professionals, there are countless volunteer opportunities to share your skills gratis. A cancer survivor? You can share information with others through one-on-one conversations, give talks, and pass out information on the latest treatments. 

Help raise funds for nonprofits such as an art museum, symphony orchestra, opera company, religious organization and so much more by simply making calls without attending meetings and leaving home. 

Make a difference by doing your civic duty and standing up in a community meeting to have your voice heard. Work with your community to transform its healthcare, build livable housing through groups like Habitat for Humanity and collect clothing and household goods for homeless or immigrant families in desperate need when starting over.

Get started

The bottom line is that everyone can play a role. Sometimes the toughest part is to begin, and we have ideas for that, too.

1.      Pick your passion or something along the lines of your career or an outside interest or talent if that’s what you care to share.

2.      Do the research about the nonprofit, school, or organization and learn what they need, sometimes by reading an article or watching a TV show.

3.      Check it out before you commit to make sure it’s legit. You might volunteer for a day or so.

4.      Get trained. Insist on it. We all need guidance, and it will make you a better volunteer to engage with people you don’t know and in a new setting.

5.      Check in with the professionals to make sure you are doing your job effectively, and if you have any ideas to make it better. But wait until you’ve been there a while to offer a critique. 

6.      Journal after you volunteer and do a mood check. Do you feel less tired, have more energy, think you have accomplished something? Be specific about why you think you feel that way. Write it down and revisit periodically.

7.      If you see a need and there are no services offered in your community, start your own 503© nonprofit. It takes work and classes to learn how to set it up. Do it with a friend.

8.     Also, ask friends you know who have retired and might be looking for something meaty to do. A retired attorney might be able to help you set up a nonprofit or even run it. Two heads are always better than one.

9.      Be consistent if you commit. You must show up to build trust, especially when working with kids and the elderly who will come to expect your presence.

10.    Make a list of what you’ve learned from the people you’ve worked with and the overall experience. You might be surprised at how you’ve changed for the better or influenced someone you’ve mentored to pay it forward someday.

11. If for some reason, the organization has too many volunteers or doesn’t need your help, don’t get discouraged. You’ve helped, learned and can use your skills elsewhere.

12. Finally, know that we haven’t yet found an app for volunteering or measuring its success, but maybe you can volunteer and develop one. The key is opening your heart and giving freely of your time. Go for it and give yourself a big pat on the back.