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Volunteering: A Win-Win Affair
By Jim McDonald
If you want to make a difference in your community, and reap the benefits of a win-win affair, become a volunteer.
The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating for the year 2000 reports that more than one in four Canadians (27 percent or 6.5 million) volunteered more than 1 billion hours of their time to a charitable or nonprofit organization. That's equivalent to more than 549,000 full time jobs. Unfortunately, only 18 percent of seniors volunteered during 2000, compared to 23 percent in 1997. Let's hope that decline does not signal a trend. With the ever-increasing age of our population, there is an urgent need for more, not fewer, older adults to become active volunteers.
Volunteering is a two-way street, an exchange of sorts whereby, in return for your donation of time and skills, you get back something special. People who volunteer to help others have an increased sense of self-worth, feel needed, have a stronger will to live, and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. Dr. Neena Chappell, director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria, said, "A lot of benefit comes from being in touch with others and having an impact on their lives." If you feel lost, lonely or frustrated, with no sense of purpose in your life, seek out an interest that will give you a more fulfilling lifestyle. Volunteering may be your remedy.
As a volunteer you offer others your experience. Once you try it, you will see that your experience matters. Your knowledge, skills and talents, are desperately needed to help those less fortunate than you. If you are retired or about to retire you have a lifetime of know-how that the volunteering community is eager to tap into. All you have to do is make the connection; find out where you are needed.
For example, while Janet attends the monthly Board of Directors meeting of a literacy organization, Bob leads a horse for a young disabled boy taking a therapeutic riding session. Janet and Bob are volunteers doing what they know best, while sharing their talents and skills so that someone else may have a better life. There are numerous charitable organizations anxiously waiting to hear from you. The Arts and Culture group (attracts 25% of seniors volunteer hours) includes art galleries, museums, zoos and aquariums. The Social Service groups (attracts 24% of seniors volunteer hours) include everything from the elderly to food banks. Health care includes hospitals, nursing homes, emergency medical services and more. Religious groups (attracts 18% of seniors volunteer hours) include churches, mosques and synagogues. In the field of Education there's literacy, libraries, schools, and ESL. If you're interested in the outdoors look to Environment and Parks. If you want something more exciting, seek an overseas assignment with: The Canadian Executive Service Organization, Canadian Crossroads International, CUSO or Voluntary Service Overseas.
Did you know?
- That the visually impaired need volunteers to help them go for walks, read their mail or go shopping?
- That volunteers are needed to help with unique swim programs for children with multiple disabilities?
- That literacy organizations are looking for tutors?
- That distress centres need empathetic volunteers to answer phone calls from the lonely and depressed?
- That the docents at your favourite art museum are volunteers?
Become a Volunteer
Contact your local Volunteer Centre. Most volunteering begins in your own community, at one of the 200 Volunteer Centres across Canada. They are equipped with a qualified staff of interviewers who guide you through the process of selecting the volunteer position best suited for you.
On the Internet, visit Volunteer Opportunities Exchange (VOE) at: www.voe-reb.org/welcome.jhtml and Volunteer Canada the national umbrella organization for Volunteer Centres across the country at: www.volunteer.ca.
Make direct contact. Organizations such as Hospitals, Museums and Art Galleries usually recruit and administer their own volunteers. If you know the organization you would like to volunteer for, make the contact directly.
Charity Village is Canada's super site for the non-profit sector. It supports and serves 175,000 registered Canadian charities and non-profit organizations. Find volunteer information for most major centres across Canada at: www.charityvillage.com.
In helping others you will have the personal satisfaction of knowing that you made a difference. What a wonderful feeling! Become a volunteer in your community.
"It is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely help
another without helping himself."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Learn more about the joys of keeping mentally active and physically fit by reading Jim and Olga McDonald's inspiring book Get Up and Go, Strategies for Active Living After 50.
It's available wherever better books are sold or click on the link below to buy it from Amazon.ca.
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Learn more about the joys of keeping mentally active and physically fit by reading Jim and Olga McDonald's inspiring book Get Up and Go, Strategies for Active Living After 50.