Giving Back: Volunteer Opportunities for Older Adults

Once you reach your retirement years, you’ll likely find yourself with an abundance of time on your hands. A great way to make use of this time is to volunteer in your local community. Giving to those around us encourages growth in both our personal happiness and our wellbeing. You’ll also benefit from more social opportunities, a sense of accomplishment and improved mental health. The next time you want a sense of purpose or are feeling down, you can help yourself by helping others.

Volunteer Work for Seniors Anyone can Do

There are a variety of ways you can volunteer, but they’re typically broken into two types: time donation and monetary donation.

Time Donation

Whether you choose to mentor someone, organize an event or just give up your time to help improve something else, there are many ways you can give back. And there are opportunities to volunteer in nearly every area of interest:

• Lend a hand at a food bank — sort and pack boxes, assist with mobile and drive-thru pantries and even deliver meals.
• Help at your local library — take care of clerical work, spend time with the children’s programs and assist with events.
• Volunteer at a hospital — you can wheel patients out to their vehicles after being discharged, deliver paperwork to different departments, lend a hand at the information desk and so much more.
• Join a nonprofit board — represent the diversity and social culture of the community and help make decisions.
• Become an activist — participate in peaceful protests, advocate for others and help with campaigns to raise awareness about specific topics.
• Pick up trash and litter around your neighborhood or local parks.

Monetary Donation

Some people are fortunate enough to be in a financial situation that allows them to donate money to organizations. This type of donation allows the organizations to fulfill their mission to serve others. Some organizations you may want to consider include:

• Ronald McDonald House — houses families when they must travel for their child to receive medical treatment.
• Alzheimer’s Association — focuses on accelerating global research to end Alzheimer’s and every other form of dementia.
• Easterseals — (formerly Easter Seals) provides disability services, with support areas helping veterans and military families, seniors and caregivers.
• Salvation Army — aims to meet general human needs on any level across the world.
• Girls on the Run — encourages pre-teen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles.
• Wounded Warrior Project — honors and empowers those who sustained a physical or mental injury during military service on or after September 11, 2001.
• Trenton Area Soup Kitchen — offers food to those in need in the Trenton, NJ area and provides programs that encourage self-sufficiency and quality of life improvement.

Discover More Senior Volunteer Opportunities at Meadow Lakes

At Meadow Lakes, we believe that you receive a greater sense of purpose and are kept mentally stimulated when you are able to offer your talents to others. That’s why we have programs like our social justice group and a scholarship committee that provides grants to employees to further their education. And as a Springpoint community, Meadow Lakes and our sister communities offer a way to share generosity through the Springpoint Foundation. Donations by Springpoint residents fuels the Foundation and aims to make life better for older adults through programs and services like Resident Financial Assistance Program, Spiritual Care Program, Tomorrow’s Leaders Program and Affordable Housing Support.

There are also many ways you can volunteer with the community. One resident, Barbara Thompson shared with us, “I wanted to move to a community that was managed by professionals like at Meadow Lakes, but still have a voice and choices as a resident. The Meadow Lakes Residents Forum provides just that—I was recently selected to be the president of the Forum.”

If you’d like to learn more about life at Meadow Lakes and how you can get involved in helping others live a vibrant lifestyle, contact our team today.