Men: your volunteer services / interests when in 40s & 50s?

[cbo111]

I volunteer wherever/whenever DW tells me. Seriously though, she motivates me to work meals-on-wheels, food bank, and Red Cross. I am always willing to do grunt work, but refuse to take on supervisory roles, especially in the Red Cross. I know too many "volunteers" who are in lead positions with the RC that routinely work 30+ hours a week. They are super-dedicated.
I wonder how many other men out there do volunteer activities because of their wives?

 

[candrew]

Having previously refereed soccer professionally as an avocation (USSF, NCAA, NJCAA, NFHS) I began volunteering as a mentor for up and coming soccer officials starting at about age 40. This typically involved actual on field, live-game work at the amateur first division and premier amateur levels with USSF grade 8 & 7 soccer officials ages 16 years-old and into their early 20's. It has been quite an opportunity for me personally to be able to share 30+ years of officiating knowledge that encompassed close to 2000 match experiences with those who are eager to learn. Several of these young officials have caught the bug, gone on and advanced themselves in USSF beyond what I ever was able to achieve!

 

[shortstop14]

In my 30s and 40s I did a lot of volunteer coaching, girls' fastpitch softball and soccer travel and high school teams. Most of that was when my daughter was playing, but I continued on for a while after she aged out.

I've donated blood forever, from whole blood to double red blood to platelets, which I still do frequently.

I also started volunteering with Red Cross disaster services, which I'm still doing. Worked lots of house fires, larger floods, and wildfires. Now that I'm retired, I'm doing the occasional national deployment in the bigger disaster situations.

A few times a year I volunteer in various functions at large sporting events, mostly track and field events like the World and US Indoor Champtionships and the NCAA Championship. Looking forward to the outdoor World Track and Field meet in Eugene in three years. That's mostly so I get a great view of these events, as much as helping out.

Special interests groups in those years included pretty serious softball teams, and eventually moving back into baseball. Still play on two local baseball teams, and travel for tournaments in the spring and fall - guess that will keep up until I can't compete any more. Also played age group soccer.

 

[Red Badger]

I volunteer at a local soup kitchen and believe that I get more than I give. I've done other volunteering including boot camp mentoring, Junior Achievement, church youth ministry, adopt a ditch, etc.

Rewind 40 years, and I was 20, homeless and hungry. If there were soup kitchens back in the day, I had no knowledge of them. Hunger sucks.

I'm 60 now retired comfortably (not wealthy) and blessed to be able to assist some in my community whose life is unduly burdened.

 

[imoldernu]

-25 years in the Boy Scouts of America...As a boy, 4 years, as an adult age 23 to age 55, as a leader in cubs, scouts, and adult leader for many years of hiking and canoeing, as well as being a committeeman, merit badge counselor. Proud of being an Order of the Arrow member as an adult..
-3 years leading church youth groups in Adirondak Chain of Lakes and Boundary Waters 10 day canoe trips.
-4 years of Junior chamber of Commerce when I had my own business.
-4 years as speaker and counselor for the Small Business Administration. Weekly for 6 mo./yr.
-6 years YMCA summer camp counselor as a kid, and one more as a summer camp director after marriage.
USAR 11 years.
1 summer balloon fest advisor.
HOA advisor, FL and IL... re-wrote 50 hours of association by-laws. for free)... then turned them over to a lawyer, who didn't change a word, but charged the association 5K.
In Fl over 55 community... DW and I along with 4 other couples planned, executed 10 dances and parties/yr for 22 years. I emceed about 1/3 of the dance and theme parties. Organized the 8 to 15 car auto trips to Daytona, Orlando, Homasassa etc. every year. Taught computers once a week for 12 years. On-call EMT (not professional) 24hrs/day, for the park of 350 homes. Bingo caller. Speedboat rides for new residents and organization of marina rules and regulation structure. Maintained Public Address/Music System and clubhouse computer electronics.
Happy, happy busy years in the middle of everything.
Silly... unofficial "go to" guy" for parts, tools and repairs of all kinds when we were snowbirding in FL. Busy, full shed, and carport always full of golf carts, motor scooters, bicycles and older cars... (like mine).
Now, in CCRC... leader in two weekly group events... Trivial pursuit and "Memories". Volunteer for unofficial counseling in Nursing Home and Alzheimer's Memory Lane.
Lots of highway adoption, food collection, get out the vote, "need-a-ride", community safety programs, help for recent widows, new resident introduction, managed internet "myfamily" website for our park,(long before facebook).

Have loved every bit of this... just a way of being a part of the communities where we have lived over many years. Except for a few "formal" services, like the SBA, never thought much about any of this as a sacrifice... rather just a way to get more enjoyment of my friends and neighbors. Most certainly received more than I/we ever gave.

 

[gretah]

Wow again!

Kudos to you great guys for your service to community.

And thank you for helping me with my research.