Volunteering

[Philliefan33]

I'm starting the third year of a three-year term on our HOA. Each year I've accepted more responsibility, "rising" to VP this year. I don't think I'll run for reelection in 2018, but I'll still volunteer to run few community activities. It's starting to feel too much like w*rk.

I also did taxes through AARP last year and plan to return next tax season. In fact, DH will be joining the team this year. I hope that doesn't take the fun out of it.

[Skeptic]

Thanks very much for all the responses. I get the idea that those who are voluntarily inclined can indeed find fulfillment in doing lots of it in retirement, and it sounds like there are sufficient worthwhile opportunities that there's no need to fear getting bored with it.

[Blue Collar Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Thanks very much for all the responses. I get the idea that those who are voluntarily inclined can indeed find fulfillment in doing lots of it in retirement, and it sounds like there are sufficient worthwhile opportunities that there's no need to fear getting bored with it.

Remember dont buy the Veal Parmigiana

[sweetana3]

My husband volunteers enough for both of us. Right now he is in the middle of 5 long days of Habitat for Humanity with another 5 days next week. Then they call him for Sunday and he says NO. He also delivers one day a week for a food bank and does this with a couple of friends. When Habitat is slow, he builds wheelchair ramps for another local charity group. 5-6 days a week at least 8-3pm per day is his usual Habitat schedule.

A normal day is Habitat work, lunch, nap and then personal time. He loves the people, the physical work, the encouragement, and just the good feelings. He was a computer professional in his previous life and never wanted to do that again.

[imoldernu]

Dunno if I ever gave heart and soul and money but the title leads to so many memories that the following is just for me... and not an ego trip. Triggering old bits and pieces of history that are pleasant. Gonna be just a simple list in no particular order. (all after retirement)

SBA (Small Business Administration) counseling 4 yrs.
Boy Scouts 25 year of service. Cub/Scout Pack/Troop leader for years then committeeman
Scouting ten day canoe trip leader twice (Adirondaks)
Church group 7 day canoe trip leader (Canada-Minnesota Boundary Waters)
Emceed many dozens of Fl over 55 community parties
Various position HOA in FL and IL communities
Official photographer for my retirement park
Organized and published newsletter for Park... 15 yrs.
Taught weekly computer classes in retirement park 1991-2012
Organized and led group day trips in FL and IL for many years
Recovered, repaired and maintained a "recycled item" stash for both IL and FL parks.
Was on the "party committee" for about 1/2 of the weekly/monthly parties, dances and cookouts for all the time we lived in Florida.
Managed the Boat Club in Fl for a few years.
Handled several financial hardship cases for widows or widowers (paperwork and legal).
Was always the 24/7 on call telephone number for everywhere we lived.
Organized Daytona Beach beach parties... sometimes twice a week for the "surfer" group... for many years.
Unofficial grief counselor... even now in Liberty Village
Played Guitar in our LGH Western Music group... organized programs
Block Captain but nothing to do
On call for "need-a-ride program
Member of Central Florida Waters Program (Chain of Lakes)

Never... ever... considered any of the activities an imposition or work... every thing was for joy and fun, and personal satisfaction.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bir48die DW has been a CASA since she retired 7 years ago............

What is a CASA - a house?

[ohyes]

Have volunteered with different hospices for over 12 years. Love meeting the folks and hearing all their wonderful stories.

Tomorrow, 9-5, DH and I are part of a group in our area being trained to be Early Responders for Red Cross. Dh thinks this is a bit nutty at our ripened ages, as what we can do? I'm like, "Hey, surely we can hand out water or something?!?!" They are asking for folks from tomorrow's training to deploy to LA/TX next week. We cannot go then, but hope we can be of service next time we are asked.

[Sanstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover What is a CASA - a house?

CASA = Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children. Appointed by court to child/children in foster care. Assures they are safe in care, receiving necessary services ( medical, dental, counseling, ect..) and most importantly speaking on their behalf in court.

[FreeBear]

We volunteer as mentors for young adults at church. Most are college age or recent grads. This commitment typically involves long, casual chats over coffee or meals. These are are informal relationships, and they have grown into intergenerational friendships. This has been extremely rewarding, and, occasionally, frustrating, as we witness our young friends struggle with navigating the usual challenges of relationships, family, and school or w*rk.

We've also done more "official" volunteering at church that involved wrangling larger groups of people and more formal responsibility. We found that we don't care for it very much. It's much for fun to just hang out with our 20 something church friends one-on-one and drink coffee!

It's great being retired! We no longer feel compelled to take on assignments that don't suit us.

[FreeBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic whenever I can I love to volunteer my musical talents (church, hospitals, hospice, song circles, etc.), and I'm looking forward to doing much more of that in retirement.

Skeptic & other musicians,

I'd love to hear more about how you volunteer your musical talents. How did you find places to play? Do you play with others or just yourself? Is the commitment pretty regular or just occasional?

I'm thinking about doing this myself but have been too busy doing "my stuff" to take on another commitment.

[rodi]

My kids and I do "tech support" at a senior community that my step mom lives in. I started out just driving the kids when my younger son and his friend needed to do community service for their 8th grade year. They liked it so much they've continued and my older son now joins them. Most of the challenges are easy (Netflix changed their interface a bit on the ipad and they had 20 residents with the same questions.) I got sucked in because there often is a line of residents wanting help and as a former engineer, I could help. We do that for a few hours, 2x month.

I also volunteer at my kids' school whenever they need parent volunteers for a) checking text books out, b) checking them in at the end of the year, c) proctoring/supervising AP and IB tests. And I've helped out (last year) in the HS FRC robotics team. (Haven't been sucked into that this year, yet).

In the past I coached FLL robotics teams... That was a big commitment because it was at my house and we had a robotics table in (4x8) in the middle of our living room for 5 months each year.

I'm also on the steering committee of a local 501(c)3. In the past I've been a board member for an educational 501(c)3.

[Skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeBear Skeptic & other musicians, I'd love to hear more about how you volunteer your musical talents. How did you find places to play? Do you play with others or just yourself? Is the commitment pretty regular or just occasional? I'm thinking about doing this myself but have been too busy doing "my stuff" to take on another commitment.

Places to play: Honestly, I mainly just sort of up and do it: I hear of a need that sounds like something I might could do and I just, well, volunteer my services. My most recent music-volunteering gig is hospice, which I just cold-called and found to be glad to accept anyone's efforts. Similar with a little start-up congregation to whom I'm donating my music to help 'em get off the ground. For sing-along-type opportunities, find one or two other folks who'll sing with you, use the Information Superhighway to announce your intentions to do so at some public place and time, and wait and see who else comes. Or just take your instrument to a coffee shop and see what happens.

Others or just yourself: Both, but even when I'm playing with others, I tend to make the most noise.

Regular or occasional: Mostly regular for me. The fact is, I'm naturally a bit compulsive: if something seems like a good thing to do once, why not keep doing it? Hospice requires regularity, and realistically so do efforts to volunteer with others. I get how folks appreciate *not* having to commit, but to me, when I'm asked for my commitment, I feel all that much more appreciated.

- Skeptic

[Blue Collar Guy]

I volunteer free advice.

[scrabbler1]

Next month, once the school year gets a month or two in, I will begin my 17th year as a volunteer I the school Scrabble program (see my username?). I began my work in this program back in 2001 when I first switched from working full-time to part-time, freeing up some weekdays to visit area schools.


I also helped out with the large regional tourney run by the National Scrabble Association's School Scrabble program. But after the 2005 school year, our local sponsors pulled their support, leaving the schools I worked with still hungry for competitive play. I had run my first tourney a week before the regional one, acting as a tune-up for the kids who played in the regional. I began running a few more tourneys in 2006 and I run 3 or 4 tourneys each school year, as most of the 4 schools in our little group take turns hosting one.


I still make some visits to the schools who play in these tourneys although it is tough for them to schedule me to visit. If they have an AM club, I'm not getting up at 6 AM to fight AM rush-hour traffic to go to a school. But some schools have after-school clubs or have clubs which meet during the school day, so I make visits to give some seminars and act as a guru to provide tips to help their play.


From 2005-2008, it was a juggling act to schedule these tourneys around my part-time work schedule. But after I ERed in late 2008, it became a lot easier to make visits and to schedule tourneys.


They throw a few dollars my way to cover my gas expenses and I get some free pizza and snacks, but they don't have to.


I used to play in adult tourneys in the late 1990s but I find this more satisfying. It's an ego trip bossing around 32 kids and several teacher/coaches for about 6 hours during these tourneys.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Collar Guy I volunteer free advice.

Don't lick a metal pole in the winter or pee on an electric fence.

[karen1972]

I couldn't pick just one, so I joined a group that basically provides bodies for all the volunteer groups. So far I've
- built fences so dogs can be off leash
- built houses for habitat for humanity
- lead horses for kids with disabilities
- cook meals for ronald mcdonald house and homeless shelters
- sorted pens/pencils, etc to be redistributed to school kids
- helped out at beer festivals
- planted gardens for sick people and at preschools
- fosters cats, and transported cats from kill shelters to other fosters
- painted furniture and classrooms
- moved furniture and decorated houses for refugees
- Food Bank (every day is something different)
- helped monitor sporting events for special olympics
- helped with tons of running events for various causes (Tunnel to Towers was my favorite)

.. and I'm sure I'm missing several. Basically every day I get to go to a website and see who needs help and just pick from a massive list. Every group needs help and most groups are VERY appreciative. I get to do something different every day which is probably what I like best about it.

[friar1610]

I've done a few volunteer things regularly in retirement:
- adult literacy/basic math totoring
- reading books at a radio station for the blind and non-readers
- served as both Service Officer and Public Affairs Officer for an American Legion Post
- did a bunch of different things for my church

Currently I'm only doing the first two. I will shortly start as an Alumni Ambassador for my college.

Tutoring has thus far been the most satisfying activity.

[Badger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karen1972 I couldn't pick just one, so I joined a group that basically provides bodies for all the volunteer groups... Every group needs help and most groups are VERY appreciative. I get to do something different every day which is probably what I like best about it.

How did you find this group? Would this be something that might be in other cities?

Cheers!

[karen1972]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger How did you find this group? Would this be something that might be in other cities? Cheers!

This one I found (Activate Good) through meetup searching for volunteering.
In Chicago, I used Chicago Cares which I found via google and when I was younger I was part of Jaycees.

Once you start volunteering, especially big events you will likely find other groups. I tend to pay attention to T-shirts at races and other big events to see if there are anyone in a non-corporate sponsered tshirt and then ask how they found out about the event. Also some of the charities which require tons of volunteers like food banks know who organizes volunteers.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeBear Skeptic & other musicians, I'd love to hear more about how you volunteer your musical talents. How did you find places to play? Do you play with others or just yourself? Is the commitment pretty regular or just occasional? I'm thinking about doing this myself but have been too busy doing "my stuff" to take on another commitment.

The bands I'm in will occasionally play charity gigs. These are along the lines of a fundraiser to buy wheelchair or to raise money for an accident victim. They are usually a local one event off gigs organized by volunteers. We'll do them if we know the people involved or believe in the cause.

However, we have learned to be wary of most of the corporate fundraisers as we have found out that at these events everyone there is being paid except us!! The bar staff, bar manager, sound person, caterer, MC, etc...are all being paid, but they want the band to play for free. We either turn down those gigs or will charge them the going rate with no guilt.