Baby Boomers are good volunteers. Some have already retired, while others have no kids at home and a tiny free time.
We boomers know how good it feels to do things for others. We remember Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and school volunteer projects. Many of us have lived in our communities for a long time and we feel connected to them. When something like the recent flooding and storms in Iowa happens, we immediately jump in to help.
My husband just retired, and even though he’s taking a part-time job, he wants to go back to volunteering at the local hospital (I have difficulty picturing him in a Candy Striper outfit!). I used to volunteer at a library, and that’s on the top of my list when I “retire.”
If you have considered volunteering, you might want to take a look at this website: VolunteerMatch and particularly the Boomer Volunteer Engagement section. Simply, VolunteerMatch connects volunteers with non-profit organizations in need of help. The Boomer Volunteer Engagement section showcases a new book and includes 14 pages of worksheets that you can download or use interactively to determine what volunteer opportunities might be a good match for you and your organization.
As an example of how their matching program can work, I searched my town and “education.” One of the alternatives was Junior Achievement. Of course! I could go into schools and teach kids about economics (one of my favorite subjects - don’t laugh). Now it’s on my list. (My list of activities for “retirement,” by the way, far exceeds the number of hours in the day, but what the heck.)
They also have “virtual” opportunities, whatever that means.
One of the organization’s strategic initiatives is Disaster Preparation and Relief: Using technology to help the American Red Cross and other
disaster relief organizations more effectively respond to and prepare for natural disasters.
The site spotlights volunteers:Â This week the spotlight is on Kate So, who is a retired attorney who is now an advocate for children in the legal system.
What volunteer work would you like to do?
Logo courtesy VolunteerMatch.com
Tags: baby boomers, volunteering, volunteermatch
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