Matching Volunteer Service to Interests

What’s more, matching volunteer service to passions and interests can magnify the effects. 

Finding a cause you connect with and care about is likely to be more exciting and engaging and inspire a more meaningful level of participation, wrote the authors of a University of Oxford study advocating for the adaption of prescribed volunteerism as a preventative health measure to improve health and well-being. Those who follow the advice are more likely to experience improvements around “sense of self, connection to others, and sense of community,” they wrote. 

The study notes the advantage of matching volunteer service with skills and interests. A lifelong baseball lover, for example, might enjoy helping out with a little league team. A retired pediatrician could take pro bono shifts at a free clinic for school-aged kids. Gardening enthusiasts could join a local club and help parks & rec teams maintain municipal park flowerbeds.

If finding the right match seems challenging — or if would-be volunteers are simply looking for something more expansive in scope — AmeriCorps Seniors specializes in connecting those over the age of 55 with opportunities at a broad range of reputable, impact-driven nonprofits. The independent government agency is the largest volunteer organization of its kind in the U.S. It works with about 200,000 volunteers a year and engages with diverse multiple partners.

“Our goal is to provide a space for older adults to take charge of their ‘second act’ and use their time in valuable and impactful ways,” national program director Atalaya Sergi said in Seniors Guide. “All of our volunteers share a goal of making a difference in their communities, and many see their involvement as a chance to make friends and form meaningful connections.”

Matching volunteer service for Cincinnati seniors 

Getting plugged in is easy, as AmeriCorps Seniors has about 70 chapters located across the nation. Program and placement managers like Cincinnati’s Gretchen Eagle get to know new volunteers, then seek to place them in situations that cater to their individual values, goals, and skillsets. Opportunity areas include food security, economic empowerment, skill-building, combating senior isolation, intergenerational health futures, and much more. 

“I like to think of us as a one-stop-shop for older adults interested in volunteerism,” says Eagle. In the Cincinnati area, she adds, “We have partnerships with more than 30 great organizations, and we work to find good-fitting, impactful opportunities that our volunteers will enjoy and take pride in being involved with.”

Cincinnati volunteers have contributed a variety of services to the community. For example:

Molly Montgomery volunteers at Gorman Heritage Farm, which provides vegetables for CSA members and for local organizations feeding those in need. Before the end of the third quarter 2024, the garden had donated over 1,500 pounds of vegetables. “She splits her time between working at our front desk and working in our market garden,” says Beth Walker, the farm’s volunteer manager. “When Molly is at the front desk, she is an incredibly welcoming first face that our visitors see. She helps ‘sell’ the farm to our new guests and supports administrative tasks as well.”

“Molly’s giving doesn’t stop there,” Eagle adds. “She is also creating beautiful pieces of art birthday cards for elderly individuals experiencing isolation. More than we care to think about, elderly neighbors who have outlived most of their family and friends may not receive a single birthday card on their special day. Volunteers like Molly hope to uplift these folks and let them know someone is thinking about them and wishing them a happy birthday.”

Through the RSVP program, Theresa Murphy started volunteering at Delores H. Bland Senior Day Center, a senior center dedicated to getting isolated seniors out of their homes and into the center to socialize and congregate for breakfast and lunch with others.

“Theresa is a devoted RSVP volunteer who helps at the senior center on a regular basis,” says Eagle. “She is one of the first smiling faces they see when they enter the building and one of the last when they leave, because she helps them into their ride to go back home. Theresa takes the time to get to know the seniors and their life stories. I have so much respect for her and can tell she’s making a positive impact on the seniors she interacts with.” 

Recently retired insurance executive Rod Myers realized that eating healthy and nutritious foods played a major role in enabling people to live at home longer and wanted to help out. He was connected with Meals on Wheels and now spends one day a week delivering hot, made-from-scratch meals to 15 people in need. 

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” says Myers. Knowing his efforts are helping people live better lives and fulfill their wish to age in place gracefully leaves him feeling happy and fulfilled. 

Myers urges other seniors to find a cause they believe in and make volunteering a regular part of their schedule. And Turk, the Oxford University healthy aging researcher, agrees. Her and her colleagues’ research shows “there’s a high likelihood they’ll feel better and live healthier lives because of it.”

Related: Making Retirement Golden Years Count

FEATURE PHOTO CAPTION, TOP: Theresa Murphy (left) with Michael Ruffin at Delores H. Bland Senior Day Center. Images courtesy of AmeriCorps Seniors.