Senior Living
Senior Volunteers Have Big Impact in Communities
By
Sep 13, 2005, 23:51

(ARA) - Volunteering is a perfect way for older adults to remain active, creative and productive in their later years. In fact, more than ever before older Americans are volunteering to help others in their community. Over half a million Americans age 55 and over now lend a hand to local nonprofits, public agencies and faith-based organizations. And thanks to the Internet, and a nonprofit Web site called VolunteerMatch, finding an organization in need of volunteer help has never been easier.
VolunteerMatch’s mission is to help everyone find a great place to volunteer. Visitors to this Web site simply enter their ZIP code at www.VolunteerMatch.org to find local opportunities. Volunteers can also search by specific interest and even individual keyword to generate a personally customized list of ways to give back. Once an opportunity of interest is found, a simple click is all it takes to make contact and get involved. As a result, VolunteerMatch has generated more than 2 million new volunteer referrals to these organizations since 1998.

More than 30,000 nonprofits post over 30,000 volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch. Many of the volunteer organizations, including RSVP (the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) and Elder Wisdom Circle, provide unique opportunities for seniors looking to connect to good causes in their community.

For volunteers looking to get out of the house and stay active, RSVP puts the skills and life experience of people age 55 and older to work addressing community needs. Opportunities to get involved run the gamut from mentoring at-risk youth and organizing neighborhood watch programs, to teaching English to immigrants and lending business skills to community groups. Currently, there are nearly 200 RSVPs throughout the country that post volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch.

For those preferring to volunteer from the comfort of home, Elder Wisdom Circle pairs online advice seekers with a nationwide network of volunteer seniors, aged 60 to 97, who share their hard-earned knowledge and wisdom. Elders participate individually via their home computers, or in groups at assisted living communities, allowing seniors to give back to the community without leaving home. Elder Wisdom Circle is an extremely popular way for seniors to volunteer, as indicated by the fact that it has generated more than 15,000 volunteer referrals through VolunteerMatch.

The VolunteerMatch service is without cost for both volunteers and nonprofits, as VolunteerMatch relies upon grants from charitable foundations for most of its funding, and also works with companies like Gap, Medtronic and Nike to make it easier for employees and retirees to volunteer.

Volunteering allows seniors to participate more fully in the life of their community. Whether sparing an hour a week, a day per week, or a week per year, seniors’ contributions make an important difference in communities nationwide.

If you’d like to make a difference, consider visiting the VolunteerMatch Web site at www.volunteermatch.org and connect to a good cause today. Courtesy of ARA Content

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