Volunteering
A Two-Way Street
for Seniors
By Gina Nádas
A woman in her seventies, with free time to spend traveling or on other entertainment, donates a portion of her time to volunteering. Why? Why does she represent a growing trend amongst seniors in America?
Emily Clack does not stand out in a crowd. Yet, she is special. She volunteers her time at the New Orleans People Program, where she teaches computer basics to other seniors. She explains, "Computer Basics involves learning to type messages, cutting and pasting, saving, emailing, sending attachments, and searching the Internet. Many older Americans did not have the opportunity to learn communications technology when they were in school.”
But they can and do learn now through volunteers. Her eyes light up as she describes what a charge she gets from seeing the oh-I-got-it look on their faces. She knows that they will use these basic skills to keep in touch with family and friends and, thus, stay engaged with the world. Even those who are confined to a wheelchair or their homes can stay connected. Not only is Emily able to keep her mind active, but she also gets satisfaction from her efforts. “Volunteering is so gratifying!” she exclaimed.
Emily is not alone in her volunteering venture. In fact, volunteering has increased over the years amongst all age groups, including Emily’s, but especially amongst Boomers. According to the Corporation for National & Community Service, a government program, the volunteer rate for Boomers — the 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 — is the highest of any age group before them.
Over 32 percent of Boomers volunteer today, compared to 23.2 percent in 1989. Thinking ahead, the rate is expected to double today’s rate by the year 2036. And, what do these Boomers like to offer in terms of direct service? They prefer above all to collect, prepare and/or deliver food, and also to tutor, teach and/or mentor. In terms of indirect services, Boomers prefer fundraising, professional and management services.
Emily loves to tutor, teach, and mentor. She so enjoys teaching computer skills to seniors that she can’t imagine doing anything else. Computer science wasn’t what she trained for. She has a graduate degree in Microbiology. But this is what she stumbled into when she was exploring continuing education for herself. She never considered a life without engagement, and now she has found a way, her way.
In “How to Avoid Accelerated Aging: Stay Connected to the World,” the definition of retirement for today’s older American advocates activity and involvement rather than rest. In part this is due to Boomers’ better education, affluence, and healthier and longer lives. So, volunteering becomes a possibility and a draw. What greater satisfaction than to share one’s talents, energy and experience for the greater good. As Emily puts it, “I don’t think the world could go on without volunteering.” And she adds, "Look at what volunteerism has done for New Orleans [after Hurricane Katrina]. The City would be in a bad way if it weren’t for volunteers.”
Furthermore, the number of volunteers that give over 100 hours a year is highest amongst seniors 65 years and older, such as in Emily’s case. The Senior Corps is a federally sponsored program made up of the Foster Grandparents Program, Senior Companion Program and RSVP Program. The Senior Corps reported that, as of June 2007, more than 17,000 of their volunteers served the disaster relief areas in Louisiana and Mississippi. Their involvement was in food and shelter, coordinating and distribution of donated goods, managing community volunteers, among other activities. These are Americans 55 years and older. But these numbers are modest because they do not include all those who contributed to disaster relief through AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) and AmeriCorps VISTA, religious groups, schools around the country, private firms and civic groups, and even international organizations.
And, the numbers don’t include the local community, regular folks like Emily Clack, that fanned out throughout the greater metropolitan New Orleans area to help at hospitals and schools, clean up parks and other projects in low-income areas, and anything else that came along.
As Emily puts it, “We are social beings that must help each other to get through life. Community projects are a fantastic way to volunteer.” Emily and her cohorts are still at it in terms of Katrina. Just the other day, groups of people like Emily flocked to the Ninth Ward, a low-income area that has not recovered yet. There are projects to help artists return to their home town, and Musicians’ Village was the one on the calendar that day.
