5 Reasons Volunteerism is Great for Seniors

As a volunteer, retirement can afford you the chance to work on a project or issue that is important to you – simply for the passion of it, rather than for a paycheck. Seniors have a unique set of skills and knowledge to offer as volunteers: a lifetime of experience can help you help others in a myriad of ways, from mentoring and tutoring younger generations, to providing career guidance, to offering companionship and care.

Volunteerism isn’t just beneficial for those being helped – research shows that volunteering confers mental and physical health benefits for those doing the helping. It also fosters positive social and family relationships and contributes to a positive image of seniors as a healthy and vital part of our society. Here are just a handful of reasons volunteer activity is beneficial:

1.   It helps bridge the generation gap. Young people are often encouraged to volunteer as a way to broaden their horizons, improve their college prospects, build their resumes and help others while doing it. Seniors who volunteer have a unique opportunity to work with and assist younger generations — and learn from them, too.

2.   It helps change the way people think about older adults. By using their talents and skills out in the world in a variety of ways, seniors demonstrate that they are active, involved and essential to a healthy community.

3.   It is good for mental health and can help prevent Alzheimer’s. The National Institute on Aging has reported that participating in social leisure activities and meaningful, productive activities such as volunteering may lower the risk of health problems in seniors, including dementia, as well as improving longevity. Being a volunteer can help keep the brain and the body active, which contributes to continuing cognitive health, according to numerous studies.

4.   It helps prevent senior isolation and depression. In addition to getting seniors out of the house and into the community, volunteering has a positive effect on psychological wellness: according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, those who volunteer experience greater life satisfaction, a sense of purpose and accomplishment, more stress resilience, and lower rates of depression.

5.   It promotes healthy physical activity. Volunteering can be good for keeping the body active, whether you’re building houses for Habitat for Humanity or walking around your favorite museum as a volunteer docent. Maintaining a healthy level of physical fitness as we age helps ward off disease, injury and even dementia.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley has numerous current volunteer opportunities available with 159 local non-profit agencies. To secure volunteer opportunities call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087 or email information@vccv.org. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org.

Baby Boomers Offer Large Numbers of Volunteers

Baby Boomers are members of a diverse group born between 1946 and 1964. Some still cope with teenagers at home, others pay university tuition fees, some care for aging parents while still others enjoy their grandchildren. Some baby boomers work full-time, some part-time, while others contemplate retirement or are already retired. Their interests and aspirations are as diverse as they are. They are always looking for new experiences, challenges and how to make a difference. Baby boomers want to stay active in mind and body, make connections and continue to learn.

Because of their sheer numbers, baby boomers influence and redefine every stage of their lives. Volunteering will be no different.

Research indicates four main reasons why baby boomers volunteer. They want to:

• Support a cause that they believe in.

• Make a contribution to society.

• Share their skills.

• Do something meaningful with their friends and colleagues.

More importantly, baby boomers want to volunteer on their own terms. Consider some of the challenges that baby boomers face:

They don’t have enough time.

• Theirs is known as a sandwich generation – caring for children and aging parents simultaneously leaves less free time.

They don’t have time during traditional work hours.

• Many baby boomers work full-time and many work past the traditional retirement age of 65. Unless their employers have a corporate volunteering program, these volunteers can’t always be available when you need them.

They don’t identify with traditional images of volunteers.

• The clichéd image of a kindly white-haired volunteer clashes with the way baby boomers see themselves – more youthful and dynamic than their parents.

They don’t want to do routine or menial volunteer tasks.

• With less free time, many of today’s volunteers expect challenging and meaningful work that reflects their skills and experience.

Short term (episodic) or a regular commitment?

Volunteering doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Between work, children, aging parents, homes, hobbies, friends, appointments, and other commitments, you may not think you have much time left over. But your involvement can be as much-or as little time as you have.

• You can volunteer sporadically, to help out at a special event, or on an on-going basis, for one day a week or a few days a year.

• If you go away on holidays, your volunteer work can be put on hold or shared with another volunteer.

Front line help or behind-the-scenes support?

You can join your local community clean-up or lead the development the funding proposal.

Volunteering from home or out in the community?

Virtual volunteering can be done from home through Internet sites that link volunteers with recipients. You could connect to kids who need homework help or people who need a life coach.

Whatever you choose, be realistic about your commitment

Organizations can accommodate your interests and your time frame, no matter how little or how much you can do– but they do need you to show up when you say you will. The people they serve count on you.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley has numerous current volunteer opportunities available with 159 local non-profit agencies. To secure volunteer opportunities call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087 or email information@vccv.org. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org.

Benefits of Volunteerism in College

Many college freshmen enter college with some volunteer experience. Some needed to complete a set number of volunteer hours to graduate high school. Other students pursued community service opportunities to make their college applications stand out. And some simply felt a desire to give back, adding volunteer service to their hectic high school schedules. Once those college freshmen start their first year on campus, academic and social activities may take the place of those volunteer hours, and draw attention away from unpaid work in the community. Consider the case for volunteerism in college, as there may be some benefits to community service that haven’t yet been considered when configuring those schedules.

Check out the benefits of volunteerism in college below for even more reasons to volunteer time, because not only will the communities be made better, but students may be doing themselves a favor as well.

Boost Your Resume

Lots of high school students have volunteerism on their college resumes. Fewer college students are able to boast volunteer experience on the resumes they’ll be using to apply for jobs post-graduation. If students are able to fit the time in, even if it’s alongside a part-time, paying job, it could be worth their while to pursue a volunteer position. Employers like seeing that students volunteer their time, and are able to manage their time well enough to take on an unpaid position. Volunteerism also suggests that students are a team player, a quality many employers will look for in potential hires. Many companies also lead a number of annual volunteer projects for their staff, so if a student is active in community service and applying to work for such an organization they should play up that experience. Students who look interested in the company’s mission get an advantage over other applicants.

Volunteer experience may also boost financial aid packages. There are a great number of scholarships and grants out there that list community service as a prerequisite. If students dedicate some time each week to volunteer work, they could be giving their financial aid profile a boost as well. Once students start volunteering, they’ll see how easy it is to continue doing so, whether they’re fulfilling the requirements of a scholarship or looking to pad their resume.

Build a Network

Volunteer positions are a great way to meet people, especially if students volunteer in an area that could be of use to them post-graduation. Interested in education? Try volunteer tutoring. The program coordinators may be willing to support students when they’re ready to apply for paying jobs after graduation, or even direct students to job opportunities they may not have heard about otherwise. Interesting in nursing or health care? Perhaps there is a free clinic near campus that offers volunteer positions. The contacts students make in these kinds of positions will be invaluable, and could be a good source for them long after they find a job. Aside from a professional network, volunteerism can also help them build social networks. Students will not only be able to find compatible people who share their interests, but people from different walks of life as them, as well.

Grow as a Person

Whether it’s a somewhat selfish reason to volunteer or not, volunteerism makes one feel good. The work students do will be rewarding and beneficial to sections of the population and areas of the community that need volunteers to thrive. In a volunteer situation, one person can make a real difference, and they’ll get that feeling once they start.

Volunteering can also help students build on their existing skill sets. If they’re relatively shy and want to become more outgoing, find a position that will build communication skills. If they’re not sure about a particular field of study or have interests in several potential majors, try volunteer positions related to those areas. Even if students do something completely different with their life, they’ll now be able to boast experience in a variety of different fields. If one is not a good organizer or has some trouble procrastinating when it comes to work and academics, try a volunteer opportunity that involves some responsibility. Students will be surprised how they’ll improve in those areas once they see that a person or organization is relying on them.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley represents 159 nonprofit agencies with numerous volunteer opportunities. Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 319-272-2087, information@vccv.org or www.vccv.org for a complete listing of volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley.

Benefits of Volunteerism in High School

Summer is the perfect time to volunteer or establish a long-term relationship with an area nonprofit. All high school students can benefit from getting involved throughout their years in high school as opposed to waiting to pad their college applications in their senior year. May is the ideal month to line up volunteer relationships. Learn more about the how’s and why’s of volunteering throughout high school.

Benefits of Volunteerism in High School

Those four years in high school are the perfect time to volunteer. Although it may seem difficult to find the time to volunteer toward a cause that offers no (monetary) payment in return, the benefits drawn from the experience may end up being worth more than what students make working that part-time job. Whether a freshman or senior, it’s never too late to look into volunteering. If you’d like to use your community service experience as leverage on a college application, the sooner the better! Here are some benefits of volunteerism in high school to assist students in considering the good things about volunteering that may not have been considered.

Impress Admissions Officials

There are a lot of high school students applying to college with impressive academic records. The GPAs and standardized test scores start to matter less especially when students are applying to the more selective schools that include cut-offs when it comes to their admissions requirements. Students are then up against thousands of applicants with the same academic credentials. How do students stand out? What youth choose to do outside of the classroom matters, whether it’s playing sports, working a part-time job, or volunteering their time in their community.

Volunteerism is a great way to show admissions officials that students not only care about the community, but are able to manage their time well enough to balance volunteering with other commitments. This doesn’t mean applicants should volunteer all of the time, or spread oneself thin by volunteering for several different organizations. A sustained commitment to a cause throughout high school or a volunteer position that has been maintained for a longer period of time will look impressive to admission officials.

Get Involved Outside of School

Getting involved in some volunteer work may introduce students to people they wouldn’t have otherwise met. Lots of high school students focus on extracurricular activities related to their schools – sports, music, and after-school clubs make time management an art. There’s a lot of value in getting involved outside of your school. The more people one meets, especially while doing something worthwhile like volunteering, the more contacts students will have when they’re ready to move on from high school and apply to colleges, internships, and even jobs after you graduate from a university. If as a high school student, they already know their proposed field of study in college, they may try finding volunteer opportunities in those areas. There’s no reason volunteer experience shouldn’t help in future endeavors.

Earn Academic Credit and Scholarships

Some high schools, especially those with career-based curriculums or religious affiliations require that students fulfill a certain number of volunteer hours in order to graduate. Others reward students for choosing to do some volunteer work on their own with academic credit. If the school offers service-learning as a part of the curriculum, students could be eligible for some academic or extra credit if you volunteer your time or get involved with a community service project.

Community service scholarships are one of the more common scholarship categories available. Those awards are not reserved for college students. In fact, there are more community service scholarships available to high school students looking for funding to help pay for that first year on campus. If a student has a history of volunteerism, make sure to consider that in your scholarship search and scholarship application process. Admissions officials aren’t the only people you can impress with that kind of experience. Scholarship administrators like community service records as well.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is a one stop shop for volunteerism and service-learning. The VCCV represents 159 nonprofit agencies with numerous volunteer opportunities, In addition the VCCV offers service-learning in area schools, teaching a hands on approach to volunteering. Students with an interest in volunteering should call (319) 272-2087, email information@vccv.org, or visit www.vccv.org to get involved.

Families and Children as Volunteers

Many volunteer jobs are perfect for families with children. Decide whether you're interested in a onetime project like collecting children's books and donating them to a hospital, or consider a longer-term commitment such as serving dinner at a homeless shelter once a month.

An easy way to find out about volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley is to call the VCCV and describe your location, interests, and ages of your children. The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley has a database to match you with an appropriate volunteer project. If you've decided on an ongoing volunteer job, talk to the agency's volunteer coordinator about training and orientation. Make a visit before making a commitment, and trust your instincts about whether you think it will be a comfortable environment for you and your children.

Once you've decided on a project, explain to your children exactly what to expect. Be enthusiastic about what you're doing and explain why the job is important. Answer your child's questions about the work and the people you'll be interacting with.

Above all, have fun. You might consider teaming up with another family, inviting one of your child's friends to help out, or stopping for a picnic in the park or ice cream on the way home to discuss your experience. What initially may seem like another task on your to-do list can become a wonderful bonding moment within your family.

10 Ways Kids Can Help:

1. Donate food to a food pantry. Have your child pick out one item each time you go to the store. When you get a bagful, take it to a local food pantry.
2. Walk to fight disease. Many organizations use walks to increase awareness and raise funds. Kids 5 and up can walk a few miles, and you can push little ones in a stroller.
3. Put together activity boxes. If your child is a preschooler, decorate shoe boxes and fill them with a deck of cards, small games, puzzles, and books for kids at the local hospital.
4. Visit a nursing home. Your family can be matched with one person to call on regularly.
5. Clean up. Pick up litter at a local park or while you take a walk in the neighborhood. (Wear gloves and supervise your children closely.)
6. Befriend someone with a disability. Call a residential center who meets the needs of people with disabilities and ask to be matched with someone whom you can include in family events, holiday activities, and outings. The center will select someone who can interact well with children.
7. Deliver meals. You and your child can bring both hot food and companionship to homebound people through a local charity food service.
8. Offer a lift. Take your kids along to drive elderly people to their medical appointments, or take nursing-home residents or isolated seniors to the grocery store or to visit friends.
9. Share story time. Read your child's favorite books to children in the hospital. Your child can sit next to you and turn the pages.
10. Be kind to animals. Volunteer to care for dogs or cats that need love and attention.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley represents 159 nonprofit agencies with numerous volunteer opportunities. Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 319-272-2087, information@vccv.org or www.vccv.org for a complete listing of volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley.