In today’s society, we have over 50 million people in the U.S. who are over the age of 60, and within the next two decades, nearly 20 percent of all Americans will be 60 and up. Many of these individuals will be retired from the working force, but the seniors of today and tomorrow will still be busy during their retirement living. They will be busy giving back to their community, state and country by volunteering their time and efforts.
Volunteer work has become common among retirees, and nearly one quarter of all retired persons spends time volunteering. As this senior group continues to expand, they will play a large part in helping within their communities during their retirement living years. Whether it is mentoring or cleaning up monuments and parks, the opportunities for volunteer work continue to expand.
Park Services: Retirement living doesn’t mean standing still and retirees can volunteer for our National Park Service, helping to clean up our monuments and federal lands. If you plan to volunteer during retirement living, why not get some sunshine and fresh air in the process? In 2007, our Park Service had 163,000 volunteers who gave 5.4 million hours of their time. That comes out to the work of nearly 2,600 full-timers.
Foster Grandparents: Senior Corps connects retirement living individuals with volunteer opportunities, and has been operating its fostering program since 1965. As part of this program, retirees can support and mentor some of our nation’s most challenged and vulnerable youths. The program currently has over 260,000 kids being mentored by 31,000 volunteers. Your retirement living can include helping a child learn to read, rewarding you with not only self-gratification, but a tax-free stipend.
Golf Courses: Golf courses and similar businesses have many opportunities for seniors during their retirement living. For instance, many golf courses use a volunteer senior for their ranger position. The ranger basically rides around assuring that all players abide by the regulations and respect their surroundings. Light maintenance is also usually done by volunteers. These activities are great for retirement living, allowing seniors some daily exercise and a way to feel needed.
School Systems: Many school districts provide volunteer opportunities for retirement living aged seniors. Crossing guard positions are often filled with volunteering seniors. You may even be able to help out the school’s athletic teams. These can be very fun and rewarding activities during retirement living.
Consulting: Many seniors are entering retirement living fresh out of a high-profile executive position. These folks generally find it difficult to completely forget about the business world. Consulting is a great way for professional seniors to stay involved in the business world, while not committing a large portion of their time. Consulting during retirement living can be done on a volunteer basis if desired, although many companies will pay handsomely for your expertise.
Libraries: Libraries aren’t quite as prominent as they used to be, but many still use volunteers and part-timers to keep the books coming in and out smoothly. Many seniors who are enjoying retirement living find this to be a nice relaxing way to give back to their community.
