Volunteer work is one of the most common pastimes for seniors looking for a way to stay active. According to America’s Health Rankings, about 22% of adults above the age of 65 volunteered within the last 12 months.
With so many benefits of senior volunteering, it’s important to understand how to find volunteer opportunities for seniors. But how can you find local volunteer programs for seniors, and how do you engage in such events?
If you’re curious about senior volunteering tips, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about volunteering for seniors and how you can enjoy the benefits of senior volunteering.
Why Find Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors?
To start, why should you bother? Volunteering is more than something you just do when you’re bored. Here are some of the primary benefits of senior volunteering.
Help With Socialization
One of the things that many seniors battle is feelings of loneliness. Studies show that loneliness and isolation become more common as we age, making it something we have to battle.
There’s more to this than feeling sad. Isolation and loneliness can lead to feelings of anxiety, worsening of cognitive conditions, and more.
Volunteer opportunities are a great chance to socialize with your peers and meet new people. You’ll enjoy perks such as:
- Staying more physically active
- Making more friends
- Broadening your social circle and making connections
Do your best to volunteer often to take advantage of these perks.
Stay Physically Active
Another issue that we deal with in our golden years is the need to stay physically active. As health issues and age both add up, it’s common for us to become more stagnant. Finding ways to ensure our safety while also exercising is crucial.
Volunteering will help you stay on your feet and keep you active. It’s a great way to stay healthy while also nourishing your mind.
As we lose physical activity, we also lose some muscle mass and body weight. This can cause issues like:
- Fatigue
- Higher likelihood of injury
- Reduced physical capabilities
Staying active will help you avoid the worst of these issues.
Continue Challenging Your Mind
Speaking of nourishing your mind, how do you keep your cognitive abilities sharp as you age? Cognitive deterioration is one of the greatest problems facing us in our golden years.
To help engage seniors in volunteering, it’s important to look at the mental benefits. Continuing to keep your mind engaged and challenged as you age is critical to keeping yourself healthy.
That doesn’t mean you need to sit and do puzzles all day (though a good puzzle never hurts). Instead, it means that continuing to socialize, learn new skills, and meet new people will help keep your mind healthy and engaged.
Grow New Skills
On the topic of growing new skills, who says you can’t keep learning? Whoever says an old dog can’t learn new tricks wasn’t trying hard enough to teach anyone.
Volunteering is a great way to pick up new skills to use. That’s great for hobbies like gardening, where volunteering for a community garden can help green up your thumb.
There’s no limit to what you can learn. More patience from working with children, accepting others as they are from helping at shelters and clinics, and more. Think of what you can learn if you set your mind to it while helping others.
Great Volunteer Opportunities
Now that we know more about some of the many benefits of volunteering, what are the best opportunities? Here are some great volunteer opportunities for seniors so you can enjoy your new path to the fullest.
Local Animal Shelters
One of the first places many people will check is local animal shelters. If you’re an animal lover, what could be better than this?
Animal shelters are places for stray or surrendered animals to receive care and see a chance of adoption. What sort of shelters are around you can depend heavily, but Charlotte has no shortage.
That said, this isn’t without risks. Some animals can require a bit more physical strength to control, and there’s always the chance of injury when dealing with animals. Also, keep any allergies in mind before you volunteer just to find yourself sneezing up a storm.
Volunteer With Voting
Around election season, countless volunteer positions open up. These are most common for presidential elections, but will also appear during local or midterm elections.
The voting centers often need a surplus of people to help care for them. That makes it a perfect place to go if you’re looking for a simple, social position. You’ll meet new people living in Charlotte and help others do their civic duty!
Community Gardens
Community gardens are one of the most rewarding projects you can tackle, especially if you’re a fan of wildlife and gardening. As the name suggests, a community garden is one where the community comes to work on the garden together.
The teamwork makes these a great social activity, while also helping to keep the physical toll of toiling in the dirt down. You’ll be able to care for nature and beautify the space without having to do all the work yourself.
Working With the Youth
Finally, a position working with the youth is another wonderful way to stay out and socialize. Charlotte has plenty of schools, daycares, and other places fit for children that you can offer to volunteer at.
These positions are great for family-oriented seniors who are looking to recapture those beautiful days. It’s a lovely way to make a difference in the lives of children while also enjoying your time out and about.
Finding Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors
Volunteer opportunities for seniors are abundant and a fantastic way to keep yourself active and engaged. There are plenty of health benefits of senior volunteering that you’ll enjoy readily. Look into local volunteer programs for seniors to see what’s available in your area.
At TerraBella Little Avenue, we’re dedicated to helping you thrive in Charlotte. Our person-centered approach will make you feel right at home, whether you’re watching the Panthers and the Knights or enjoying your night in with our lovely community. Contact us to see how we can help today.
