PRIME TIME
Benefits of Volunteering At Ages 55+ WRITTEN BY DANA KLOSNER
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olunteering has benefits for everyone, but volunteering over age 55 can lead to a better quality of life. This new life chapter brings changes—your kids may move out, you may be considering retirement soon—which can lead to more time on your hands. You could lose your sense of purpose without a job, and you might find yourself lonely without demanding teenagers around the house.
What you don’t want to do is sit around watching too much TV and eating junk food. Experts say it is important to keep moving, keep socializing and keep learning new things. The good news is volunteering for meaningful activities and organizations could be the answer. But what is the first step? When you choose to become a volunteer, you should look for an organization you are passionate about.
Do you have a hobby you had to give up because you didn’t have the time? Is there something you always wanted to learn? Now’s the time to do it. If you love animals, the local rescue shelters may need help. If you are an avid reader and love kids, you may want to become a volunteer reading tutor with a school or library. And if you want to help people when they are in a time of need, you could volunteer for a hospital such as
In addition to providing compassionate service to Torrance Memorial’s patients and visitors, the hospital’s volunteers find a sense of purpose and fulfillment in serving their community . With more than 150,000 hours of service each year, these volunteers touch the lives of thousands of our community’s residents.
10 ADVANTAGE / Torrance Memorial, a Cedars-Sinai Affiliate
