Volunteering “completes” my life. I work (a lot), I play, and I donate my writing skills to an organization that does the work that I alone can’t do, but wish I could for Stray Cat Alliance (SCA). This Los Angeles-area humane nonprofit helps these kinds of cats: homeless, stray, feral and “community.” My pro bono work matters to both the giver—that’s me—and the receiver—that’s SCA. I feel like I’m “making a difference.”
Helping others helps you
Stephen G. Post, Ph.D. of Oxford University writes that “one of the healthiest things a person can do is to step back from self-preoccupation and self-worry, and there is no more obvious way of doing this than focusing attention on helping others.”
Giving your time, energy, enthusiasm and talents provides immediate gratification as you share the precious, unique gift of you with worthy causes—religious, social service, hospital, educational, civic, humane, sports or arts.
In 2010 nearly 63 million U. S. adults served almost 8.1 billion hours valued at nearly $173 billion. Nearly 30 percent of us baby boomers and 24 percent of older adults volunteered that year. Did you?
Good for you
1) Research—and there’s a lot of it—shows that people who volunteer have:
- lower mortality rates
- greater functional ability
- lower rates of depression later in life than those who don’t
2) Volunteering may also provide these social benefits:
- “helper’s high,” a euphoric physical sensation that occurs when you do good—versus just doing well
- increased trust in others, and social and political participation
- enhancement of social networks to buffer stress and reduce disease risk
- higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem and control over life
3) Insurance giant United Healthcare found volunteering can help you:
- feel physically healthier
- better manage chronic illness
- improve your sense of well-being
- lower your stress levels
- enrich your sense of purpose
4) Additionally, if you’re a baby boomer who’s job-seeking, volunteering may help you:
- make important networking contacts and meet new people
- learn or develop skills
- enhance your résumé
- gain work experience
- meet new people
- show others you’re ambitious, enthusiastic and care about the community
Enough lists. I think you get the point. As a baby boomer, by now you have so much experience and knowledge to share. Why not strengthen the causes you care about by giving the gift of you?
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(Photos courtesy: © John Leaver | Dreamstime.com and © Kitsen | Dreamstime.com)