Reinventing Retirement: Seniors Spending Time Serving Their Communities

By: De’Jah Seabrooks, Follow South Jersey Intern

SOUTH JERSEY – Retirement is a period of opportunity for many older adults and some seniors are finding fulfillment through volunteerism. 

Individuals aged 55 and up are showing up more and more to volunteer sites despite an overall downtrend of volunteering rates throughout the country. According to the US Census, people ages 59-77 had a 59% rate of volunteering, the highest rate of volunteering of the generations during 2021. This is due in part to a growing population of active, healthy older adults seeking ways to stay engaged in their communities. Now that older adults are healthier than in recent years they are finding more ways to use their retirement years outside of senior centers and back into their communities.

AmeriCorps Seniors is a big example of this. They have three different programs to help senior volunteers give back.  Senior Companion where volunteers help aid older adults with daily tasks like shopping or driving. The second is Foster Grandparents where volunteers can help mentor students, young mothers, and teens. As well as care for premature infants and children with disabilities. The third option is RSVP, a program where individuals aged 55 and up are able to pick how, where, and when they want to serve their community.  These volunteers contribute in various ways, from mentoring to assisting with environmental projects, and can do up to 40 hours of volunteer work per week.  

More specifically in New Jersey, volunteer organizations report a 19% surge in participation from retirees this past year according to America’s Health Rating. Senior centers and local initiatives are brimming with members eager to lend their expertise and time. These senior centers are a great hub for those older volunteers who wish to give back as well as find a sense of community. It’s an engaging way to stay mentally and physically sharp. From doing physical activities like marathon walks to just spending time with the community’s youth.  

Some opportunities near Ocean County shown by Harrogate Senior Living Center include:

  • Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey – Where volunteers can provide free support to homebound individuals
  • American Cancer Society – Where individuals can donate and help fundraise to aid cancer research.
  • The House of HOPE of Ocean County –  A volunteer organization where members participate in food pantry, tending to a community garden, helping with transportation and advocacy
  •  Court Appointment Special Advocates of Ocean County–  Where members help foster children in their community. From meeting with the child, their family members, teachers and foster family to help ensure that the child is set for success.
  • Walk to End Alzheimer’s– A program where volunteers help fundraise New Jersey’s biggest Alzheimer Association Event to help raise funds to research and stop Alzheimer’s and dementia. 
  • Fulfill Food Bank – Where volunteers partake in 289 food banks, shelters, and soup kitchens throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties to fight against food insecurity. Volunteers can help this program by organizing food drives, packing donations, helping with tax and office tasks as well as helping at mobile pantries.
  • Making Strides Against Breast Cancer– A program where every October participants walk to fundraise for research and treatment fighting against breast cancer 

Harrogate is one of the many senior living centers that encourage and promote senior well-being. They believe that seniors being active is a great way for them to stay healthy and live longer more fulfilling lives. 

These are just some of the local New Jersey volunteer opportunities for those over the ages of 50. Many individuals who participate in these activities have reported a great deal of positives in their personal lives. Despite giving to others, volunteers have found they have also received a great deal of advantages from volunteer work.

The benefits of volunteering for seniors are numerous. Studies coming from Harrogate LifeCare have shown that volunteerism can:

  • Improve physical health by increased physical activity and regular social interaction.
  • Boost mental health and well-being by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. As well as cultivating a sense of purpose that retiring often removes.
  • Strengthen social integration by providing opportunities to connect with others and build new relationships with the members of their community.

Volunteering allows retirees to share their wealth of knowledge and experience while staying mentally and physically active. According to Harrogate Life Care, “75 percent of senior volunteers stated that volunteer work has helped more with their chronic pains than OTC pain medication”. By giving back to their local communities they are adding a new purpose to their lives and staying healthy in the process. It’s a win-win for both volunteers and the communities they serve. Their diligence to aid those around them in turn aiding themselves as they embark on a new chapter of their lives. 

Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.

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