Seniors are the backbone of volunteer movements across the country. Retirement has come to personify all of the good things missing during earlier years: time, opportunity, and motivation.
Volunteerism suffered a great deal during the pandemic. “Stay home” the health authorities said, and all of a sudden, seniors were being cautioned about doing the volunteer work that they loved.
Even now, people shy away from going out in public, as least in any venue where they are expected to interact with others. Still, many seniors want to help and they want to feel useful again.
What’s holding you up? Healthy or not, seniors especially, are encouraged to be careful. You are not alone if you feel hesitant about putting yourself out there again, even though you know that volunteering is good for you.
You are also not alone if all of the horrible things happening in the world are more than your tender heart can handle. You are not a bad person if working with the homeless, the hungry, or the abused is more than you can stand right now.
The good news is that you can still help. You can still reap the benefits of “doing unto others” without being on the front line. There is an unbelievable amount of work to be done behind the scenes. Work that can be done in small groups or even from the safety of your own home.
Behind the scene heroes are an integral part of every team. Give it a try. Select a charity or two or three and call; ask if there is something that you can do help “behind the scenes.” Use your skills, whether for making quilts and sweaters for the homeless, manning a phone tree, organizing a fund raiser, or even stuffing envelopes. Somewhere out there someone needs your skills, your love, your time, and your passion.
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