10 Reasons Why Volunteering in Retirement is Good for You

1. Volunteering makes us more productive.

Studies show that when you volunteer your time, you actually feel like you have more time and can accomplish more with your time. The study published in the Havard Business Review reported that “people who give time feel more capable, confident, and useful. They feel they’ve accomplished something and, therefore, that they can accomplish more in the future.”

2. Volunteering makes a difference.

Once we retire we may think, what will I do with my time that is meaningful and has an impact in the lives of others? Volunteering is a great way to use some of that time.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

3. Volunteers report that they are the ones who receive the biggest benefits.

We may think that the visitors to the soup kitchen are getting the most out of the event, but usually it’s the other way around! Volunteering brings fulfillment, happiness, and physical benefits as well.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

4. Volunteering helps you learn new skills.

Volunteers are often able to engage in intellectually stimulating activities or read aloud to others, which helps keep their own brains active. Intellectually stimulating activities, including volunteer work, may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease according to some studies.

5. Volunteering helps you stay physically fit.

Did you know that people who volunteer on a regular basis live longer and healthier lives? Time Magazine reports that those who volunteer regularly have a mortality rate that is reduced by 22%

6. Volunteering helps you combat depression.

The same Time Magazine report notes that regular volunteers experience reduced rates of depression. This can be a very important advantage, considering that many experience symptoms of depression later on in life.

7. Volunteering to help someone who is unable to help you back is a selfless act of kindness.

Many of us spend much of our livelihood and careers helping or serving others for profit. However, it is truly noble to help others who are not helping you back.

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – John Wooden

8. Volunteering makes us happy!

In addition to defeating depression, volunteering is proven to make people happy and give them an “increased sense of life satisfaction and well being – doing good, it seems, made them feel good.”

“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.” – Abraham Lincoln

9. Volunteering is a great way to start involved in the community and make friends.

Volunteering your time and talents can help you meet new people and strengthen friendships with others.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” – H. Jackson Brown, JR.

10. You’ve never volunteered before? That’s ok– It’s not too late to start.

Recent retirees may feel like it’s too late to pursue certain activities or hobbies. However, we can all be encouraged that it is not too late to start volunteering.

You can learn more about opportunities to volunteer at our facility or download a volunteer application here.

“The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery