COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 17, 2018 11A
Living 50 Plus in Cottage Grove
Want to volunteer after retiring? Consider these tips:
Many parents feel involving their children in
volunteering at an early age can have a profound,
long-lasting impact on their kids. But youngsters
are not the only ones who can reap great rewards
from volunteering, as studies show that men and
women at, beyond or approaching retirement age
also benefi t greatly from volunteer work.
Research from the Corporation for National
and Community Service found that more than 20
million older adults contributed in excess of three
billion hours of community service time each year
from 2011 to 2013. The reasons why older adults
volunteer are varied, but in its 2014 survey the
AARP’s Experience Corps found that 97 percent
of its volunteers indicated that their volunteer
work with the organization gave them a sense of
purpose.
Older adults who want to volunteer but have
little or no history with volunteering might not
know where to begin with regard to fi nding the
right opportunity. The right fi t can make all the
difference for volunteers and the people they help,
and the following tips might help older adults as
they look for an opportunity that best utilizes their
skills and experience.
• Know your schedule. Older adults who are
still working but want to volunteer may have a
fi rm grasp on their schedules, but even retirees
should not overestimate how much time they have
to volunteer. Before you begin to look for an op-
portunity, write down your commitments and dai-
ly schedule, using this list to determine how much
free time you have to volunteer. Some opportuni-
ties require greater time commitments than others,
so make sure you know just how much time you
can devote to an opportunity before signing up.
• Give due consideration to your experience.
Older adults who have retired or are on the cusp
of retirement have a lifetime of experience they
can use to help others. Imparting wisdom learned
in your professional life can provide a sense of
purpose and even make you feel as though you are
still actively involved in the industry where you
built your professional reputation. But life expe-
rience can also prove invaluable in volunteering
opportunities. Mentoring programs give volun-
teers the chance to help young people, and such
opportunities can involve more than just offering
professional advice.
• Don’t downplay the signifi cance of certain
opportunities. Volunteering opportunities come
in many variations, and each is signifi cant in its
own right. Coaching a grandchild’s soccer team
can have as signifi cant an impact on the people
you help as other volunteering opportunities. Vol-
unteers offer their time because they have a pas-
sion to help others, and that help can be given in
a myriad of ways.
• Leave time for the rest of your life. Volunteer-
ing is a selfl ess act, and volunteers are the back-
bone of many successful charitable organizations.
But older men and women should leave time for
the rest of their lives as well. Retirement should
be fulfi lling but also include time for recreation,
so don’t downplay how important hobbies are to
you in an attempt to fi nd more time to volunteer.
No retiree wants to grow resentful of his or her
volunteer work because it leaves little time for
other pursuits, so do your best to balance your
charitable endeavors with the other things in life
that matter to you.
Finding the right volunteer opportunity can
make all the difference for older men and women
who want to give back to their communities.
Making time for grandkids can benefi t your health
In the not-so-distant past, ex-
tended families were the norm,
with multiple generations resid-
ing on the same street if not in
the same house.
Today the family unit is large-
ly an amalgam of different situ-
ations. The rise of two-income
families has pressured parents
into fi nding childcare situations.
Quite often grandparents once
again step in to offer guidance
and support for youngsters. This
can be a good thing for both the
grandparents and the grandchil-
dren.
Although a bevy of psycho-
logical research focuses on
parent-child relationships, new
evidence points to the benefi ts
of the grandchild-grandparent
relationship as well. Close rela-
tionships between these differ-
ent demographics is often a sign
of strong familial ties.
A study from researchers at
Boston College discovered that
emotionally close ties between
grandparents and adult grand-
children reduced depressive
symptoms in both groups. Re-
search at the University of Ox-
ford among English children be-
tween the ages 11 and 16 found
that close grandparent-grand-
child relationships were asso-
ciated with benefi ts including
fewer emotional and behavioral
problems and fewer diffi culties
with peers.
Adult and grandchildren alike
benefi t from relationships with
their elders. Grandparents can
provide a connection and ex-
posure to different ideas while
providing a link to family histo-
ry and knowledge regarding tra-
ditions and customs not readily
available elsewhere.
Nurturing grandparent-grand-
child experiences may be easy
for families where grandparents
live in the same house or close
by. For others, it may take some
effort. The following are some
ways to facilitate time spent to-
gether.
• Schedule regular family re-
unions or get-togethers. Host
or plan multi-generation events
that bring the family together
and expose children to various
members of their family.
• Promote one-on-one time.
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Have grandchildren spend time
with grandparents in intimate
settings. Alone time can be
good for both and offers each
undivided attention. A meal at a
restaurant or time spent doing a
puzzle or craft can be interesting
to both generations involved.
• Video chat when possible.
If distance makes frequent vis-
its challenging, use technology
to bridge that gap. Send photos,
letters and electronic communi-
cations. Tech-savvy grandpar-
ents can use Skype or Facetime
to stay in touch and speak one-
on-one with their grandchildren.
• Share skills with each oth-
er. Either generation can play
teacher to the other. Grandpar-
ents may have certain skills,
such as baking, sewing or wood
crafts, they can impart that may
not be readily taught today.
Children can help grandpar-
ents navigate computers, video
games or sports activities.
Grandchildren
can
help
grandparents feel younger, and
grandchildren can learn new
experiences from their grand-
parents.
Reading
Continued from A1
volunteer force. “And so it creates advocates for the classroom
and the school,” she said.
And it’s clear during the volunteer meeting, advocates are exactly
what the volunteers are.
One by one they explain how they came here: some received
handwritten letters from coordinators while others wanted to lend
a helping hand and came looking for the opportunity. They detail
their initial worry over entering a classroom again and uncertainty
over how they could help, how Vogel, Strickland and other volun-
teers guided them through the process and how thankful the teach-
ers were for their time.
“Reading is a top priority at our school, district and state of Or-
egon for kids,” Melendy said. “Research has shown that students
who do not read at grade level by third grade are less likely to earn
a high school diploma.”
Walker, however, has seen the reach span beyond high school. “I
tell them they have to learn this so they can go on to college and
you just see them perk up. ‘College?’ Some of them haven’t even
thought of college,” she said.
Retired teacher Cathie Profi tt also sees a difference in the kids she
volunteers with. “You never get tired of it,” she said. “it doesn’t get
old, seeing that light go on, their posture change. I get goosebumps
thinking about it.”
Volunteers in the program are assigned to the same classroom
Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and Bo-
hemia is currently looking for more volunteers. Those interested in
volunteering or being a substitute volunteer can contact Bohemia
Elementary School at (541) 942-3313.
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