Volunteers hand out hygiene products at Bread of Life’s back-to-school celebration in July. Beyond physical activity, volunteering provides an opportunity to gain positive emotions and social support.
Ishika Samant, Staff Photographer / Staff Photographer
After Jeff Kellert retired from teaching for 35 years, he began volunteering as a tutor and helping with monthly dinners at the synagogue.
She later became certified to lead a biweekly support group for the National Alliance on Mental Health, an organization for relatives of people with mental illness.
In total, Kellert, 71, volunteers about 30 hours a month. He said the experience has kept him active, but just as important, it has led to new friendships and a sense of purpose he didn’t expect after retirement.
Article continues below this ad
“I feel like I’m doing something productive with good self-esteem and confidence,” said Kellert, who lives in Albany, New York. . It’s more than that. ”
Volunteer work may also help him live longer, as various studies have shown various health and psychological benefits.
Jacqueline Stevens, a developmental health psychologist at the nonprofit Mather Institute in Evanston, Illinois, studies ways to age successfully. She said it’s good to volunteer, even if it doesn’t have much benefit.
“But it just happens, especially in older people,” she says.
Health benefits of volunteering
Eric S. Kim, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said his research shows a link between volunteering and more positive emotions, less loneliness, and increased social support. He said it was clear.
Article continues below this ad
“These have downstream effects, such as increased healthy behaviors and healthier biological functions such as reduced inflammation,” Kim said.
Although older adults are the most studied group, they are not the only ones who will benefit. There are signs that volunteering can help high school students as well.
Stevens noted that some types of volunteer opportunities, such as loading boxes at food banks, involve physical activity. But work doesn’t have to be physical to be beneficial, she says.
Stevens said many people don’t volunteer because they initially only think of a few common options that don’t appeal to them, such as tutoring or feeding the poor. . Instead, she suggested reaching out to your social networks to learn about opportunities that others are enjoying.
This allows organizations to scrutinize whether they have a good environment for volunteers and encourage people to engage with friends and relatives in a bonding way.
Article continues below this ad
Other good places to start are aggregators like AmeriCorps and VolunteerMatch, which pairs your personal skills with local opportunities.
Kellert recommended simply searching online for “volunteer opportunities in my town,” but he also suggested doing a little soul-searching before retiring.
“A lot of times it’s right in front of you,” he said. “What do you like? What do you want to do? And now you can do it.”
