Volunteering your skills, knowledge, companionship, and time is a wonderful benefit to your sense of well-being as you age. You can share decades of learning and experience with others who may benefit from it. If you have already crossed a bridge, you can help build one for the person coming behind you. Volunteers are needed in all aspects of life. Delivering a meal to those who can no longer navigate the three flights of stairs to their apartment may mean they eat that day and get to stay in their beloved home. Teaching people to read introduces them to the world and shares the knowledge and wisdom of the authors. Each hour of volunteerism adds to our humanity.
Volunteers play an important role in the economy while having a tangible and genuine impact in the lives of those who receive their services. No matter if it’s walking dogs at the Humane Society, building homes for Habitat for Humanity or restocking books at the library, volunteering also helps keep seniors active.
A positive side benefit of sharing yourself is that you get to enjoy the experiences. For example, if you volunteer as an usher at a small local theater, you also enjoy the show.