Volunteering and civic service have long been much-admired elements of American culture. A recent report found that about 30 percent of adults ages 46 to 57 volunteer, and that the number of volunteers age 65 and older will increase about 50 percent (13 million volunteers) by 2020, and the trend will continue.
Recent research provides good reasons related to health and senior independence for Boomers to continue volunteering. According to a study from Carnegie Mellon University, older adults who volunteered for 200 hours or more in a year had a 40 percent decrease in their risk of hypertension. Because hypertension – or high blood pressure – is a serious ailment that affects about 65 million Americans, this research should be taken seriously. One of the study’s lead researchers, Rodlescia Sneed, hypothesizes that the most important element of volunteering for Boomers’ health is socialization.
“As people get older, social transitions like retirement, bereavement and the departure of children from the home often leave older adults with fewer natural opportunities for social interaction,” said Sneed. “Participating in volunteer activities may provide older adults with social connections that they might not have otherwise.”
Other research has found that volunteering can reduce depression and increase physical abilities in older adults, and that adults who volunteer report having improved health.
How to choose a volunteer activity
If you want to start volunteering or increase the amount of time you spend volunteering, there are a multitude of options for you. The most important way to choose your volunteer activity is to find something that aligns with your interests and won’t be too physically straining for you.
There are some great websites to help you find the perfect volunteer opportunity for you. One useful site is idealist.org, which people of all ages use to find volunteer opportunities. On idealist, you can search by keyword and location. For example, if you are a retired teacher and are interested in volunteer teaching, you can type in “education” and your location. When you type in “education” and “Chicago,” several volunteer opportunities come up, including many options to teach English Language Learning to adults or children and an opportunity to share your knitting skills during a Knitting with Kids course at a local non-profit.
Another helpful site to use is volunteermatch.org, where you can search by location, category and your age group to ensure that you can find a volunteer role that fits you, whether you’re interested in environmental projects, education or doing advocacy work, among many other volunteer jobs.
