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SENIOR LIFE ODYSSEY: Voluntold?
Have you heard of this term? I first learned it from younger co-workers to describe being asked nicely to volunteer for a committee or attend a meeting that was not necessarily in their job description.
I laughed of course. All of us have been in this situation when the supervisor requires something of you that is not necessarily in your “wheelhouse” but falls under the heading of that famous line at the end of all job descriptions, “other duties as assigned.”
The asking is done nicely, but the meaning is clear that there is really no choice.
Volunteering, not voluntolding, to support the causes we believe in can add more meaning to our retired or semi-retired lives.
Dan Buettner, nationally recognized for his work on the “Blue Zones,” (describing the world’s best practices on longevity and health) writes in “Thrive,” “One of the surest ways to increase your well-being is to volunteer. It can boost your happiness. Volunteers tend to weigh less, to feel healthier, to have less chance of suffering a heart attack and to score higher in every happiness domain.”
He had me at “weigh less.”
Volunteering increases your opportunity to meet new people, that alone is good for healthy aging, expanding your social circle and social support. Having friends outside our age group is also great for learning and keeping our minds open to change.
Putnam County has myriad opportunities for volunteering in the over 300, yes 300, nonprofits in our communities. This does not include schools. Finding your niche is totally up to you. Some suggestions:
Children – Putnam County Schools (tutoring, mentoring) Head Start, CASA
Animals – Putnam County Humane Society/Rescued Treasures
Plants and Nature – Putnam Parks and Pathways, Become a Master Gardener, Friends of the Park
Beyond Homeless Inc. – Assist with programming, store or daily operations
Putnam County Library – Become a Friend of the Library
History – Putnam County Museum, serve on a committee
Spiritual and Comfort Care – Hospice agencies
These are only a few of the opportunities you might find to volunteer your time and talents. There are always opportunities for service on the boards of these nonprofits. I spent my career working for nonprofits and have seen the great support that boards can provide. They need our lifetime expertise, experience and stability, not to mention our financial support.
Most of my senior friends are volunteering on multiple fronts providing all kinds of service to our community. So I am probably preaching to the choir. But maybe you will think of a new avenue for service, and isn’t it lovely that no one is telling us we have to do it.