by Kyle Sadler
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Volunteering at a Church or Nonprofit
When the word “volunteer” is mentioned, the first place anyone would think of to do it is at a church or nonprofit. Therefore, this is probably the simplest adventure to write about. Churches and nonprofits cannot operate with prudent interest toward the mission of the organization without the assistance of volunteers. My belief is that everyone should volunteer for a cause at least one day a month. I urge you to find a cause that you are passionate about and volunteer as many days a month as you can. If you need help locating an organization, feel free to contact me via my website AfterURetire.com. I will get you in touch with one of several organizations I work closely with.
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Volunteering to be a Fund-Raiser
What is a fund-raiser without volunteers? Of course it’s a no-brainer that you can volunteer to be a fund-raiser, because it would be a job if you were employed to be a fund-raiser. You’re retired—I don’t want you to have a job. The number-one fund-raiser that comes to my mind for retirees is the March of Dimes. There are hundreds upon thousands of nonprofit organizations that need assistance fulfilling their missions, so determine where your passion lies and get to work. Remember that in addition to your traditional nonprofits, schools, churches, and hospitals also all require fund-raising.
I highly encourage you to research a nonprofit prior to engaging with it. A lot of nonprofits claim to be charitable organizations; however, as is widely discoverable on the Internet, there is more and more data supporting that some of them are fronts for very-high executive compensation and benefits. I encourage you to visit websites like Guidestar.com and Charitywatch.com to investigate the nonprofit before you choose to work for it.
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Coaching a Team
Do you have a passion for sports? OK, let me rephrase that: Do you have a passion for children? If you do, why not coach a team? You don’t have to be an expert when it comes to a sport. Heck, my wife is the furthest from knowing anything about sports, and she ended up coaching a soccer team. Most sports leagues for young children have everything laid out for how things work and provide training for coaches. Kids don’t require expert coaches; they just require you to be present. I have served in many volunteer roles in my life, and a child has never come back to me five years down the road to tell me how great it was that I taught them to win; however, I have had kids grow up and tell me how great it was to know that every week, I was there for them.
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Grant Writing
Grant writing for organizations is often done as a voluntary effort; however, a lot of organizations pay individuals to successfully write grants. If you have the ability and passion to scour through a lot of paperwork and can write an intriguing and complex proposal, there are hundreds and thousands of organizations looking for someone like you. Remember that the majority of the time with grants, the grantor will host a grant workshop to assist applicants in writing these proposals. Therefore, don’t forget to account for that time when exploring this option.
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Assisting a Professor at a College
OK, I can admit on this one that not everyone will be qualified to work on a scholarly project at a college. However, don’t think that you have to be a PhD in order to work on a project. A lot of times, professors just need volunteers to be the third hand for them. (Just be careful that they’re not just looking for “guinea pigs”!) Not to say that you couldn’t champion a scholarly project yourself, but remember, you’re retired, so take it easy. The easiest way to get involved in one of these projects is to simply call your local college and speak with the department chairs to inquire if there are any projects that you can assist with. Normally, they will issue a summary packet and requirements for volunteers. Check it out—it could be one of those things that you may find a knack for or, better yet, you might find the cure for cancer!
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Volunteering at a Library
At the beginning of this book, I mentioned coupling ideas for additional enjoyment of the adventures. Volunteering at a library can be coupled with the idea of reading. Most library systems are receiving less and less funding due to the availability of information on the Internet for research purposes. However, libraries are also important venues for children to experience the joys of reading books. A computer will never replace the creativity and the worlds of imagination that a book can provide a child. Make it a quest to save the libraries from extinction!
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Working at an Animal Shelter
As I have told my children over and over again in regard to our fifty million pets, “Those cages don’t clean themselves!” Well, it’s true; they don’t. How about volunteering to work at an animal shelter? As I stated earlier, most nonprofits operate on a limited budget; therefore, any assistance, whether it’s manual labor, clerical, or even event planning, is always greatly appreciated. And how rewarding of a job is getting to work with puppies and kittens!
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Teaching English (or Another Language) Abroad
This next “volunteer” adventure, which will be my future muse, is to teach English (or another language) abroad. I call this my muse and put quotation marks around the word “volunteer” because of the fact that as an instructor abroad, there are schools, companies, and individuals willing to pay big money to have you teach English. However, my goal is to go overseas and get services and skills in return for teaching English. Before you think that you have to have proper English skills to teach, guess again—there is always a set of guidelines available that provides a step-by-step guide on how to teach properly.
I do plan on volunteering my time upon retirement to teaching English abroad; I just didn’t want to give everyone the idea that teaching English is strictly for volunteers. By all means, you should try to earn as much as you can for teaching abroad!
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Teaching ESL at a Church or Community Center
As I sit here tonight writing this suggestion, my wife is teaching English as a second language (ESL) at a church. An adventure like this is usually a service project for the community, so please don’t expect compensation to come. Immigrants come to this country for opportunity. I have traveled with mission teams and have seen the little opportunity that people have in their countries, and I’ve realized how blessed we are in the United States. There is little doubt as to why people want to come to our country. Teaching ESL allows them the vehicle they need to succeed in the United States. Besides, our families were all immigrants once.
Here’s just a little side note: One of the ladies who takes my wife’s class comes over and cleans our house. Most of the time Maria won’t accept money since my wife gives her English lessons outside of the class. Because we are a giving family and Maria won’t accept money, we just give her a very nice Christmas present.
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Mentoring/Tutoring
Currently I volunteer as a mentor at a local school, and I am joined by dozens of other mentors who are retired. We also have an after-school tutoring program for the kids at our church. Getting involved in a mentoring/tutoring program is not only beneficial to the child but also selfless and extremely rewarding for you. For most of us, our desire in life is to leave this world a better place than the way we found it. What better way to change the world for the better than one child at a time? This is nothing earth shattering, but it’s one of the most rewarding activities you can possibly take part in.
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Becoming an Activist
It starts with passion, then it becomes a platform, and before you know it you have become an activist. There are those in the world who need a voice but have nobody to speak for them. There are also those who just wander with no direction or leader. That is, until someone stands up with a passion and says, “We need to make a difference; we need to change to progress!” There is no formal training. The only requirement is someone who has a passion for a cause, someone who is a leader, someone who wants to make a di
fference, and someone who can write a speech and present it. Today’s your day to make a difference for our tomorrow…you never know, you may just end up as president of the United States.
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Becoming a Tour Guide
The next adventure comes from my uncle Ed: becoming a tour guide for your favorite place. I never thought of this until we were on vacation visiting him while he was doing his volunteer work. He loves trains so much that he became a volunteer tour guide at the train museum. That’s right—find your favorite place, go to management, and share your passion. Then tell them that you would like to volunteer as a tour guide. There are several perks to this: (a) your admission should always be free, (b) you will learn more during your volunteer time than you would have ever imagined, and (c) you will discover more people who share your same passion (people usually only visit places that interest them). Think the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum or the San Diego Zoo is cool? Go ask if you can volunteer as a tour guide and see what happens (they may end up paying you).
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Cleaning the Environment
Cleaning the environment can be accomplished in many ways. Whether you are recycling or picking up trash along the side of the road, our environment needs it. Because of the lackadaisical effort of a lot of people, trying to keep the environment clean is a full-time job. Just driving down the road, you will see cars that aren’t maintained properly and are smoking, people throwing trash on the ground, and toxic waste being disposed of improperly. A person’s lack of concern can be an opportunity for you to take a step forward and pick up after them.
So start off by taking some time when you go for a walk and take a little bag with you once or twice a week. While on your walk, pick up trash along the way and carry it home. There—you just got your exercise and made a difference!
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Planting Trees
Along with cleaning the environment, when you plant trees in community areas, not only does it reduce pollutants, it beautifies the area. A lot of cities and communities have budgets for beautification projects; what they lack are people to do the job. Speak to your local city council representatives, and they might be able to provide the samplings. Also, a lot of local arboretums, civics clubs, or nurseries will provide you with the trees.
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Delivering Flowers in Hospitals/Skilled-Care Facilities
Who doesn’t like to get flowers? When I am in trouble with my wife (which is often), or when I just want to show her I love her, or if I want to give her a pick-me-up when she is not feeling well, I know the surefire way to encourage a smile is with flowers. The elderly and ill also need that crucial smile, and you can provide it by delivering flowers to skilled-care facilities/hospitals. The health and recovery of this select group of individuals are dependent on them having a support network. Just by delivering flowers, you are expressing that someone cares. Although it would be nice, I am not advocating an elaborate bouquet of flowers. If you are on a strict budget, a single flower from a stranger will bring a smile. Heck, if you decide that you want to pursue gardening through retirement as a hobby, fresh-picked flowers are always nice! (Just make sure there are no bugs in them.)
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Being a Candy Striper at a Hospital
For the next adventure, I used a term known as a nickname when someone is volunteering at a hospital. The term “candy striper,” which some of us can date back to the days of volunteers walking up and down the halls and being goodwill ambassadors to all in the hospital in red-and-white-striped uniforms. The traditional uniforms may be next to nonexistent today, but the candy striper tradition still lives on. The requirements for candy stripers vary from hospital to hospital and are also based on the talents and abilities of the individual. Volunteers may be asked to work the reception desk or gift shops, handle administrative duties such as filing and mail delivery, or deal with patient interaction. No matter what the duty is, I always find that these men and women have the greatest hearts of anyone who visits the hospital as a patient or even of those who work there.
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Working with the Even More Elderly
Here are two separate adventures dealing with one select group: running errands for the elderly or becoming a handyman for this group. Examples of this can be divided into three categories: physical labor required, physical labor not required, and one that doesn’t fit into either.
“Physical labor required” would include general home maintenance such as climbing ladders to change a lightbulb or cleaning calcium deposits out of the screens on faucets. Even more advanced skills could be utilized, such as replacing siding on a house. Physical chores for the even more elderly can build as time progresses.
Teaching others how to use a smart phone could be considered a nonphysical labor. We take for granted the level of understanding that we may possess when it comes to current technology. However, I have a client, Paula, who teaches this class, and there is always a huge turnout just to learn how to open an app on a smart phone. Even though I still haven’t been able to figure it out, if you know how to program a television remote, you are in high demand.
This is the one that I couldn’t classify in either of the other categories, but it is a volunteer service that cannot go unrecognized. My father was telling me of a man named Carl, who is eighty-one years old. Since he retired, he has driven a van full of veterans to the nearest veterans’ affairs hospital an hour and a half away from home on a weekly to bimonthly basis. (And then he takes his wife out dancing on Saturday nights!)
As a recent retiree, you are by no means close to being incapable of filling either of these roles. And, by performing these simple acts of kindness, you are encouraging the younger generations to follow your adventurous path. Think of this as leading by example. When the time comes, this will hopefully encourage someone else to do the same and fill the void by volunteering to assist you when you become less capable.
Oh, by the way, many times you will be compensated for your efforts. If you don’t feel comfortable accepting the money, then turn around and donate it to Meals on Wheels or some other elder-care nonprofit.
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Cooking and Delivering Meals to the Homeless/Elderly
If you haven’t been able to tell by now, I am a huge advocate for volunteer work. My personal belief is that you should give back to the community at least two times greater than what you take from the community. An excellent way to give back is to deliver, or to cook and deliver, meals to the homeless/elderly through Meals on Wheels or another organization. Whether it’s the indigent or just people who are incapable of making meals at the current time, here’s an opportunity. At our local church, when a member is ill, has had a death in the family, has been laid off, or has recently had a baby, we step up to assist in providing meals.
Just remember, there is no such thing as an age gap when it comes to a great home-cooked meal (well, at least not for me). The smiles and happiness you will bring by sharing a meal is worth more than money itself. Don’t know how to cook? Then team up with another retiree and let him or her cook and you deliver. But remember, you don’t have to cook an extravagant meal, just something to nourish the person’s body and relieve the stress or inability to make meals.
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Joining a Theater Group
Would you like to stay busy for a brief period of time and then have some time in between adventures? Join a theater group and you will have just that. Usually a performance will require four to six weeks of your schedule for practicing lines and attending rehearsals. How fun it is to be on stage and share your play with the community!
Most community theaters are made up of volunteers; however, there are also several theatrical troupes or groups that provide some type of compensation. Just remember, you don’t hear of millions of dollars being made as an actor or actress unless they star in a major motion picture. Therefore, don’t get your hopes up that it will be worth the tank of fuel you put in (which nowadays is making it really expens
ive to drive).
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Donating Your Clothes to a Local Theater
After my parents retired, they went on a spree of purging stuff in their house. My mother finally figured out that there was no need to keep my sister’s and my old Halloween costumes. (I promise that they don’t fit anymore.) My dad, on the other hand, discovered that, although they briefly came back in style, he was not going to be wearing those polyester bell-bottoms from the seventies. What they did discover because of my mother’s involvement with the local theaters was that those bell-bottoms and old Halloween costumes were needed for costumes.
I suggest that everyone clean out their closets and donate the clothes to their local civic theater. They are always trying to raise money, but for what purpose? To afford costumes and sets. Therefore, by donating you are reducing the strain of raising funds for a production. (And if you are good with a hammer and nails or a paintbrush, they can use that help also.)