“Two hundred people came to Sindhu’s memorial service, most of whom she’d met through her volunteering work!” When I heard those words about my aunt, they made an impression, ‘That’s how I’d like to be remembered!’ My aunt had lived in Canada and had devoted her life to volunteering for ‘Meals on Wheels’.
But I always wondered – why do we volunteer? What impels us, even as senior citizens, to spend time in exchange for no compensation? Research has shown that volunteering is beneficial for older adults in many ways, both mentally and physically.
Giving Back to Society: Mrs N, a friend of mine, has dedicated her life to volunteering – from donating her platelets and plasma to reading for the blind, visiting a Home for Specially- Abled Adults & counselling adolescent girls aged 9 to 15 in slums, she has done it all! At age 60+, she can no longer donate her plasma but continues to donate her rare blood type. It is her way of giving back to society and even becoming a senior citizen, has not deterred her. In addition, she also handcrafts various items and sells them to donate money to thalassemia patients who require expensive blood transfusions every 18 days!
Mrs K, on the other hand, though being a full-time professor, has given her spare time to tutoring youngsters in mathematics and statistics. Though she had initially volunteered for a Reading Connections Program, when they realised that she could also teach these subjects, she was persuaded to switch. Over the years she has not turned away any student who came to her for help and always taught them free of cost.
Providing a sense of purpose: Over the years, I have volunteered to teach spoken English to young adults and found that I was using my spare time usefully. Instead of reading a book or watching TV, I spent my time either preparing for lessons or teaching. Besides, it was satisfying to know that teaching English to these youngsters would help them towards a better life!
Making New Friends: Mrs D had moved abroad and found she had time to spare until she could get a job. She started volunteering at a retirement home and found that even simple actions of hers resulted in giving them joy! She accompanied them on picnics, applied henna to their hands, and helped in various other activities. The added bonus was that she made some new friends too!
Improves Physical Health: Some volunteering jobs require you to be physically active, for example cleaning up the environment. Mrs P, who is passionate about preserving a healthy environment, helped clean up a river bank and a beautiful hillside – both of which were being badly littered on a daily basis. Another tough job that kept her standing for part of the day - was helping the traffic police control traffic on a one-way road! Being a senior citizen did not stop her from doing what she felt was her duty as a citizen.
Maintains Mental Health: The best part of volunteering is that it gives us a sense of fulfilment – by filling the gaps either in society or in someone’s life_. Research has shown that “Volunteers are as healthy as 5 years younger non-volunteers!!_ That’s a decided bonus for anyone especially those of us older adults who are 60+. So, what are you waiting for – volunteer at your nearest NGO or enrol for online volunteering!!
- By Anita Natu
References:
https://seniorcommunity.org/five-benefits-volunteering-retirement/
https://vantageaging.org/blog/benefits-older-adults-gain-volunteering/