ALT-1 Volunteer Jobs for Seniors
If you are a senior citizen who is retired from gainful employment, but still has many healthy and productive years ahead, you might be looking for ways to fill your days with meaningful activity.
For seniors who have a desire to “give back,” making a difference in the lives of others, there are many volunteer opportunities in your community that would welcome your experience and expertise.
Volunteer opportunities for senior citizens:
- Court-appointed child advocate
If you love children, you might want to explore the possibility of becoming a Court- Appointed Child Advocate. This role encompasses spending time with the children of a family caught up in the court system for a custody battle, accusations of abuse, neglect or for any other reason.
The Advocate acts as a voice for the child, providing the court with valuable information about the child’s needs and well-being. The advocate gives time and attention to the child in the days leading up to a court appearance in an effort to alleviate some of the fear and confusion the child might be feeling. A senior can obtain in-depth information about this worthy endeavor by contacting your community social services department.
- Victim’s Advocate
Most police departments have a Victim’s Advocate service and this is an ideal volunteer opportunity for a senior who has previous experience in dealing with people on an emotional level, either as a therapist, human resource director, medical employee, counselor, teacher or any other profession where compassionate interaction with others was a component of their job.
The Victim’s Advocate accompanies the police on calls involving domestic abuse or any other situation where the police officers determine a comforting presence would be of value. The advocate’s role is to offer sympathy and comfort to the victim while the officers go about their police business of questioning, gathering evidence or whatever else is required. Seniors can gather information about this valuable volunteer role by contacting the local police department.
- Hospital volunteer
Many seniors enjoy working in the gift shop of their local hospital, or volunteering other useful services for patients and overworked hospital employees. Their services could run the gamut from delivering newspapers and magazines to patient rooms to filling in at reception desks. Contacting the human resource department at your local hospital could open the door to a fulfilling volunteer experience.
- Schools
Many elementary schools welcome the help of seniors with their literacy programs, assisting the librarian and giving one-on-one help to students in remedial reading programs. Contact either your local school district office, or the principal of your neighborhood school to see if this is a viable choice for you.
- Church
Most churches have so many volunteer opportunities for seniors they would be difficult to list. I personally know a senior who spent years using his gardening expertise to keep up the landscaping around the exterior of his church. My retired neighbor excels in carpentry and woodworking. He makes memory boxes for each baby born to new members, and volunteers hours each month to accomplish whatever handyman tasks need to be done around the church.
Most churches hold annual fundraising bazaars and festivals where seniors can donate craft items they have worked on all year, and then volunteer to man on of the booths during the event. Volunteering for the church usually has a social aspect that is good for seniors that might have a limited social life.
- Nursing homes
If you are on the lower end of the age spectrum, you might consider volunteering at a nursing home, providing companionship for your more infirm counterparts. Contact the Activity Director of your local nursing home and ask what you can do to brighten the lives of some of the residents and patients. You might be able to spend a few hours reading to a resident whose site is failing, or playing chess, checkers or some other fun game with a resident who enjoys a competitive challenge.
This is a short list of possibilities - you can also potentially find a comprehansive list of voluteer opportunities posted on your library bulletin board, at your local senior center or by calling or emailing your local news station. You could go on line and google "Volunteer opportunities in (your city and state name.)
There are so many ways to volunteer, using your talents, skills, interests and hobbies to enrich the lives of others, and enhancing your own retirement years in the process.
