Volunteering adds value for both giver and recipient

Retirement justifies laziness, at least if you are to believe the humorous T-shirts in beachy Rehoboth gift shops, for example: “Retirement means I get to do whatever the #&@% I want. What I want to do is nothing.”

But then there is all this talk about volunteering, perhaps because boomers have time with longer lives, feel a ‘60s-driven sense we should give back, have multiple volunteering options, and can find easy connections via the internet, which also allows us to brag broadly about our benevolence.

And there is plenty of evidence that volunteering is good for us, even boosting that wonderful neurotransmitter dopamine, which fuels what scientists enticingly call the “reward center” for the brain.

And, hey, you can mix volunteering with travel and simultaneously support research on wolves in Portugal or sea turtles in Bali, teach Maasai children in Kenya or help out in a Paris art gallery. You can even volunteer now for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Closer to home, you can trot out musical skills with the Back Bay Strummers, count horseshoe crabs, guide therapy horses or be a mentor at a local school or a volunteer advocate for abused kids. Check out the voluminous Cape Gazette volunteer page at capegazette.com/basic-page/volunteer-opportunities-directory/246300.

Apart from that, you can choose a setting comfortable to you, whether it’s a noisy outdoor group prone to selfies, hand-holding and rousing, cause-inspired chants, or solitary work writing emails or stuffing envelopes while you simultaneously try to absorb an old episode of “Twin Peaks” or a brainy podcast.

Perhaps most importantly, your service is valuable.

“At the Food Bank of Delaware, volunteers are the heart and soul of what we do,” said Chad Robinson, vice president of external affairs. “Last fiscal year, we had over 10,700 volunteers contribute over 73,600 hours.  That equates to over 35 full-time positions.” 

“They’re essential to any organization like ours that serves people,” said Anna Moshier, executive director of Village Volunteers, an organization that provides services to help older adults live independently. “Sussex County is such a warmhearted place to live, and it will continue to be if people give back.”

“I am continually in awe of our volunteers,” said Bryan Ochs, deputy director of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. “These folks are passionate about being a part of something and giving back.”

Got it? They need you. So, here’s more about what’s in it for you.

One meta-analysis, titled “Voluntary work for the physical and mental health of older volunteers: A systematic review,” cites 24 studies showing that volunteering increases our lifespan, improves our mental health, makes connections to others and heightens our functional competence, meaning the ability to unscrew the salsa jar lid or reset a password. 

“The connections are also important to our volunteers—to each other and to the people they serve,” said Moshier, pointing out that volunteers often simply feel good about what they are doing.

“Many volunteers have developed close friendships based on their volunteer work, deepened through shared interests and passions. We’re deeply grateful — not only for their work, but also for the opportunity to serve as the pathway that helps friendships form,” said Ochs.

Paula and Tony Gehman owned and operated a busy New Jersey gymnastics school, and they began volunteering at the Food Bank when they retired to Lewes.

“I thought it’s time for me to give back,” Paula said. “I’ve also connected to another community ... a wonderful community of people.”

“For me, it’s like an affirmation,” Tony added. “It makes me appreciate life and keeps me from being sedentary. It keeps the brain going, and it gives me satisfaction.”

You can put some of your existing skills to work (who doesn’t enjoy showing off that they can still manage a spreadsheet or a pair of pruning shears?) or learn something new.

“Volunteering with us provides a unique opportunity to connect with the Inland Bays' natural world and the people who love it,” said Nivette Pérez- Pérez, CIB manager of community science.  She said volunteers work on trails and beaches, help with data entry for scientific research (like the popular horseshoe crab count) and guide visiting students.

At the Food Bank, Robinson said, volunteers can take shifts in the fixed and mobile pantries, farm and gardens. “They can select the type of experience that they might enjoy,” he said.

To boost success, Pérez-Pérez suggests choosing thoughtfully and starting slowly. “Maybe tag along with a neighbor or sign up for a training,” she said, and don’t worry about seeking a change if it isn’t a good fit.

Moshier noted, however, that organizations rely on you keeping your commitment. Explain what you have in mind, show up, and keep the organization informed if something changes.

Also, recognize that you are new and inexperienced despite those years of employment and life lessons, but it’s OK to speak up and ask for direction or make suggestions. “You’re not doing this on your own; we’re a community,” Moshier said.